New moon
by Haprilona
Summary: Several short stories centered around Lunafreya and her growing friendship with Noctis and his crew. Genres vary with each chapter. Based mostly on Episode Duscae's given information. Obviously AU.
1. Alone

Title: Alone  
Genre: Angst, hurt/comfort  
Summary: Luna laments her past, but looks to the future with hope.

 **Chapter 1: Alone**

Lunafreya had always been on her own, ever since the invasion of Niflheim.

Her parents were gone; she had no siblings to speak of. She had learnt at a young age that showing any signs of weakness to your conqueror – to your _enemy_ – could be fatal.

She learnt to still her tears before they could fall.

She learnt to grit her teeth with closed lips, concealing the pain from her abuser.

She learnt to focus her gaze just above her tormentor's brow. Close enough to give an illusion of listening to the twisted tales and poisonous words, but far enough for her to shut herself away from the mental torture.

She learnt to fake several different smiles; each saved for the right occasion. A thin, chill smile for the hated Emperor. A small warm turn of lips for her handmaids. A confident smirk when fighting for better tomorrow. A brilliant welcoming smile to Noctis and his entourage.

But there was a smile that she did not fake. It was a fleeting smile that only reached her serious eyes. She wore that smile as a comforting blanket when she was alone in the middle of the night and letting her mind wander to better days when Tenebrae was not an imperial province. Those precious days when she still had her parents to turn to. She missed the comfort of her mother's arms around her after hurting herself or the warmth of her father's large hand on her head after losing her first rapier.

But after the invasion, she lost all of that. She was often abused by soldiers of Niflheim. She never felt safe in her own home. The closest comfort she had was behind a locked door in her room, alone.

There was a time when soldiers who had been away from their wives for too long assaulted her and her handmaids. She had managed to escape just barely with the help of an elderly maid whom the soldiers deemed as "too ripe for the picking". Luna had ran away from the scream-filled chamber into the cover of dark corridors. Her clothes were torn from the attempts of physical abuse and her mind scarred from the feel of eager hands on her adolescent body. The elderly handmaid was never seen again, but Luna heard from the hollow-eyed victims that her corpse was tossed into the nearby river after the soldiers had vented their frustration and disappointment on her frail body. Luna swore never again would she let her guard down.

* * *

When she joined Noctis and his merry band of brothers, she tried to fool herself into thinking she was among friends and allies. They would not hurt her; she had no reason to be suspicious of them. But even amongst her newfound companions, she felt herself close off. She jumped at the chance to sleep in her own tent. Even if she always dreamed of having close friends like her groom-to-be did, she found herself preferring the familiar comfort of being lonesome.

Perhaps that was why when Noctis' head suddenly appeared at her tent's door she felt confused, even worried. From then on he slept in her tent, claiming he enjoyed _not_ being flattened between his three friends and that he preferred her silent dozing to Prompto's sleep talking. He was lying, of course. She woke up the second she heard Ignis get up and finger his phone for an alarm. Quite often she was the first one up. She would listen to the symphony of crickets, Gladiolus' rough breathing, Prompto's quiet whiny exhale, Ignis' almost-but-not-quite-snore and Noctis' husky muttering.

She was fairly certain there was enough space in the tent for the four of them to sleep comfortably, but she did not comment when Noctis again entered her tent. He removed his shoes and slipped into the sleeping bag he had brought with him. He turned on his side to face her.

"'night."

And then he was out like a light. She let her gaze linger on his relaxed features for a moment before turning her back to him.

* * *

It was the closest thing to peace she had experienced in many years, but still a part of her insisted on keeping a polite distance from the quartet. She noticed Prompto tried to actively include her in his antics while Ignis always politely asked her opinion and insisted on female privileges such as having the first turn to bathe and last turn as watch. She appreciated the camaraderie the men were attempting to include her in, she really did. But it would take awhile before self-built walls would crumble and she could open up to the people around her.

Lunafreya turned back to face the sleeping heir to the Lucian throne. _I am on the mend_ , she reminded herself. Her heart would heal, in time. Her features lit up with a genuine smile. She moved her sleeping bag closer to Noctis before settling down.

She was not alone. Not anymore.

* * *

 _A/N: I apologize for any strange word choices or awkward sentences. English is my second language and I'm not much of a writer. If you're wondering where the story's cover image is from; it's a drawing I did which can be found on my tumblr (haprilona) / deviantART (toxo)._


	2. Sleeping arrangements

Title: Sleeping Arrangements  
Genre: Friendship, hurt/comfort, humor  
Summary: Moments from Alone in deeper detail from Noctis' pov.

 **Chapter 2: Sleeping Arrangements**

"We have two tents yet we don't use this opportunity to _not_ sleep cramped together. What's up with that?" Prompto complained as the four companions set down their sleeping bags, getting ready for the night.

"It would be highly improper of us to intrude upon Lady Lunafreya's privacy, Prompto. She is His Highness' betrothed, after all", Ignis replied with an even voice while adjusting his spectacles. Noctis couldn't help the sly smirk that rose to his lips as a thought formed in his mind.

"So it would be fine if _I_ moved to her tent, then?" Gladiolus openly laughed, but Ignis remained as cool and collected as ever.

"I did not imply that, Highness."

"I, for one, think that's a good idea", Gladiolus butted in. "Maybe she'll have more luck waking him up than we do." Noctis scoffed outward, internally thanking his bodyguard's subtle backup.

"As long as Sleeping Beauty here won't keep her up all night with his snoring", Prompto grinned and jabbed Noctis' ribs.

"Ha." Noctis returned the favour in full force. Once Prompto was suitably pushed to the floor, the prince got up with his sleeping bag in tow and marched outside the tent with purpose.

* * *

Lunafreya's tent was at the other side of the campfire. She claimed she didn't mind being alone in a separate tent, but Noctis had a nagging feeling that she wasn't being completely truthful. If nothing else, he would feel better having someone watching her back and possibly providing some warmth during the chilly nights. He quickly discarded the mental images of his betrothed under his arm, snuggling contently against his side.

He cleared his throat as a warning and opened the tent's zipper slowly to give her time in case she was indecent.

"Luna? Are you still awake?" He poked his head inside and saw her combing through her messy locks with her fingers. She looked back at him, confusion written across her delicate features.

"Something the matter, Noct?"

Noctis fumbled for a decent excuse. "Yeah, uh, you see, I couldn't get a shut eye with Prompto talking in his sleep. You don't mind if I sleep here tonight, do you?" He wasn't sure if she bought his rather obvious cover story, but in the end it didn't matter as long as she agreed to play his little game.

"Go for it", she said and continued her attempt to tame her blond locks. That was all the encouragement he needed. He kicked his shoes off and unceremoniously dropped his sleeping bag next to hers. He settled down and stared at her as she gave up trying to fix her hair. Maybe he should go fetch his comb from the other tent and offer it to her? Would she appreciate it or wrinkle her nose in disgust? He knew some people were very picky and did not wish to use other people's brushes in fear of lice. Not that he had any as far as he was aware, but he couldn't be sure what she'd think.

She was his betrothed and a childhood friend, in a way. Yet he felt he knew very little what she was like. It had been many years since he had ran with her as children, hand in hand across the meadows.

"What?"

Noctis blinked and focused on Luna's apprehensive eyes. "What-what?"

"Expecting a goodnight kiss?" Well, that was not what he expected to hear from her. Noctis decided he liked what he was hearing; she shared his sarcastic wit.

"Maybe. You _are_ my bride, after all", he grinned and leaned on his elbows to get a better look at her serious face. She held on to her poker-face, but he could tell from the way her posture had slightly relaxed from the normal stiffness that she obviously found their banter as amusing as he did.

"Is it not traditional for the engaged couple to sleep separately until the wedding?" she crossed her arms in defiance.

Noctis snorted, clasped his hands behind his head and stared at the tent's roof nonchalantly. "Tradition is overrated. Besides it makes no difference", he turned to look at Luna who had now also settled down in her sleeping bag, blond hair framing her travel worn features. "We're still on the road and have to do some", he paused, pretending to think "compromises along the way." The laughter disappeared from her eyes and turned serious as she thought for a moment before voicing her thoughts.

"Fair enough. I do not wish to be inconvenience and intrude upon your merry retinue." Noctis frowned. Her eyes turned to look somewhere past him. She looked troubled. He grabbed her hand to regain her attention.

"So far your presence has been a boon to us, Luna. I doubt you'll become a hindrance any time soon." She looked at their hands before returning her attention to him.

"Your words set me at ease", her voice was devoid of any playfulness. Noctis gave her hand a small squeeze before he let her withdraw her hand. They gazed at each other, emotions dancing in their eyes that they couldn't quite name. Luna turned to lie on her back, eyes fixed on the roof. The moment was broken.

 _Maybe for the best._ Noctis mused. _Better end the night on a light note._

"So", he drawled. "Where's my goodnight kiss?" His efforts were rewarded with a low chuckle.

"Persistent." She sat up. He followed suit. "Very well", she gently cupped his face between her small hands and leaned forward. Noctis felt his heart hammer against his ribs, almost painfully. He reflexively closed his eyes, impatiently waiting for the pressure of her lips on his. Just when he was about to give up on waiting and lean forward himself, she tilted his head down and pressed her lips in a feather-light kiss on his forehead.

"May you have pleasant dreams", her eyes danced with laughter as she let go of his face and returned to lie down in her sleeping bag.

Both relieved and shattered, Noctis glared back at her before grumbling: "Suppose I ought to when pleasant moments are denied in reality."

Luna allowed herself another low chuckle before bidding him goodnight and turning her back to him.

The cheek of her.

* * *

The following morning felt like every other morning to Noctis. They always seemed to come too soon when he was at the deepest state of sleep.

 _Noct, wake up._

No, it was way too early. He would stall for as long as he could. Ignis could shove that phone of his up his-

 _Noctis, if you do not remove your hand from my blouse this instant, I will unman you._

… Wait, what?

His eyes shot up and searched for any evidence of the inappropriate behavior he was being accused of.

"Well, that was effective. Too bad you will not fall for it a second time." Ah. So it was merely a trick to wake him up. Damn, that was clever of her. Highly tasteless, but clever. "Come, the sun has risen and soon your companions shall as well." As if on cue, he could hear the vibration and the accursed ringing tone of Ignis' phone's alarm in the next tent. He groggily sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

Luna had already braided her hair, not quite as elegant and neat as when he had met her in Altissia, but she had done well enough without the aid of that comb he had thought about lending her. She had come with him and his friends with minimal belongings; only the clothes on her back, the rapier tied to her hip, an extra tent and a sleeping bag.

As he finished rolling his sleeping bag, he off-handedly remarked: "I'll get you back for that. Just wait and see." She glanced over her shoulder at him and gave an impish smirk.

"I look forward to it."

Damn her.

* * *

"My, my. You truly are a wonder, Lady Lunafreya. I've never seen His Highness up so early and with unclouded eyes", Ignis praised. Noctis rolled his eyes and helped Luna to pack the tent. He stuffed it unceremoniously in the back of the car before sitting down next to the unlit logs. Gladiolus was working on the fire while Ignis took out his cooking supplies and Prompto packed the other tent.

"Told you it was a good idea", the tattooed man glanced slyly at Noctis. Luna gazed at the man suspiciously. "I beg your pardon?"

Noctis was _not_ having this conversation right now.

"Hey, Ignis, what're we having this fine morning?" he exclaimed, perhaps too eagerly if Luna's accusing glare was anything to go by.

"Egg in the Basket, Highness." Sweet. Food that you could quickly stuff in your face and be back on the road within half an hour; exactly what he needed. He took back his earlier mental insult about Ignis and his phone. Just need to keep the conversation going and make sure it didn't stray to the wrong direction, Noctis mused to himself.

How hard can it be?


	3. Motel

Title: Motel  
Genre: Angst, humor, friendship  
Summary: Continuation for Sleeping arrangements.

 **Chapter 3: Motel**

They had been driving for hours, only stopping by at Hammerhead for a quick snack and refuel – or as quick as Gladiolus would allow them. He still seemed adamant on sweet talking to the head mechanic. Poor guy. Cindy didn't seem to get the hint or was deliberately ignoring his advances.

The night was approaching fast. It was still several kilometers till the next motel. Noctis was sure his companions would agree that a night at the motel would be more appreciated than another night stuffed in a tent. As if reading his thoughts Ignis suggested past the next 'motel nearby'-sign: "We ought to rent a room for tonight. As comfortable as Lady Lunafreya must feel squashed between the two of you, she ought to have a chance to wash away your sweaty odour."

"In fewer words: Ignis wants to have a bath and groom himself", Prompto quipped helpfully.

"To be fair, we all could use a shower. It has been trying couple of days." _Luna, ever the diplomat_ , Noctis mused. _Might as well support the cause._

"Think I still have sabertusk guts in my hair."

Ignis hummed approvingly. "It is settled, then."

* * *

It was past midnight when the five travel worn companions stumbled into their assigned room. Prompto was ready to pass out then and there, so Ignis reluctantly allowed him to shower first. He had hoped to grant that privilege to Lunafreya, but she insisted on letting the young commoner have the first turn.

"Better he smells freshly showered instead of dry blood and sweat by the time we retire for the night. I am sure the owner of this fine establishment would not be pleased with dirty sheets after our stay."

She had a valid point. There were only so many days of battle odour Ignis could handle without a break.

The rest of them had begun to dine by the time the door leading to the corridor opened. In came Prompto with his long blonde hair sticking to his face. The freckle faced youth managed two steps inside before stumbling and barely caught himself from falling face first onto the floor.

"I believe it is your turn to get refreshed, Lady Lunafreya", Ignis suggested between hauling Prompto to his feet and leading him to his seat without missing a beat.

"Very well", she rose from her seat with well-trained elegance that clashed with her wind-blown hair and dirt covered face. Ignis returned his attention to the food and conversing with Gladiolus once Prompto was securely slouched in his chair. They were so absorbed in their discussion about different chocobo breeds – which instantly perked Prompto from his sleepy haze – that the trio completely missed their prince slipping out of the room to follow Luna.

* * *

Noctis stood in front of the bathroom door, listening to the steady beat of water hitting the tile floor. What was he doing here? His companions would highly disapprove of him stepping over the fine line of privacy.

But he couldn't simply get the pleasant memory of her travel clothed body barely pressed against his side, her sleeping features just centimeters away from his. Her hands were soft like any female's of noble birth, but they still retained a sort of firmness and strength that came from wielding a rapier. Just feeling the warmth radiating from her still figure as she shared the tent with him made him wish to hold her and feel the battle hardened skin underneath the many layers – too many, he mused – of travel clothing.

Noctis let out a mute sigh and rested his forehead against the door. There had been so much going on lately that he hadn't had the time to ponder over his and is bride-to-be's relationship. He was barely acknowledging the yearning he felt for her. They had been friends since childhood, not close like he and his companions, but the two did share a connection. They were more than just mere acquaintances, no question about it. But could he label them as friends?

She had this independency about her: as if she wanted to keep her companions at an arm's length – politely, of course. She might have acted warm and welcoming to his merry band of brothers, but she always kept a certain distance. Almost as if she didn't wish to get burnt and felt the need to keep her guard up at all times. She even slept like a watch dog; always up at the smallest of sounds and was usually the first one to wake up. Not that Noctis was ever there to witness it, but he knew Ignis wouldn't make up stories for him – unless he needed to be bailed out of trouble from the guards, that is.

Unconsciously his hand went to the bathroom door's handle. He held his breath as he turned it without a sound.

* * *

Lunafreya felt the hair in the back of her neck stand up in a subconscious warning. She instantly took heed and turned to face the door. She turned off the running water and inhaled slowly. Stepping out of the shower booth soap still glimmering between her locks, she quickly checked if the door had a lock mechanism she had missed on her way in, but found none.

 _I suppose privacy has always been a luxury I could never afford._

The door handle turned downwards, slowly and silently. Her heartbeat quickened in silent panic; she was naked and unarmed. Memories of her time in Tenebrae after the invasion flashed in her mind's eye: soldiers entering her chambers unbidden. She shook her head to clear her mind. She had to think of a plan. She might be unarmed, but she was not helpless. Perhaps if she switched off the lights and tackled the intruder…

The door never opened. The handle slowly rose back to its original resting place. She heard a quiet shuddering intake of breath from the other side of the door followed by retreating footsteps.

Cooling water dripped down to the small of her back, making her shiver. She placed a hand over her heart, attempting to calm her frantic heartbeat and frayed nerves. She pressed her ear against the door and listened for a minute for any sounds. Once she was certain the danger had passed, she re-entered the shower booth and finished scrubbing the blood and dirt out of her hair.

 _What was that all about?_

* * *

Noctis had returned to the rented motel room and was casually sipping coffee when Lunafreya entered. Her long hair was wrapped in a towel and she wore a bath robe that was provided by the motel staff. He met her gaze evenly and consciously forced himself to keep his eyes on hers a few seconds before letting his gaze to wander back to his friends. He couldn't allow himself to act flustered or she would put two and two together and know he had been up to something. He had a feeling he would be forced to sleep on the couch if he was caught red handed.

Then again, maybe that would do him some good. Noctis was sure Ignis would have suggested that in the first place, had he known 'His Highness' was stalking his semi-girlfriend.

Things would get better once they hit the road again, he assured himself. All he needed was a good fight to clear his head.

A sweet scent entered his nostrils. Luna had sat down next to him and took dainty bites of her previously unfinished supper. It would be hard to keep his hands to himself if he still insisted on sharing the tent with her. Could he maybe fake sleep while holding her? He doubted she would believe it for a second, but he couldn't help but wonder if she would still allow him to go through with it. Did she feel _any_ attraction to him, at all? So far she seemed to regard each of them in similar manner. Although she most likely turned to him a tiny bit more, if only for the fact that she had known him longer than the other three.

 _What a comforting thought._ He grimaced into his coffee mug. _Such a silly thing to have your ego hurt over._

"Your turn."

"Hm?" He turned to face Luna, brows knitted together in confusion.

"To shower, Highness", Ignis filled in for her.

"Ah."

He finished his coffee, put the mug in the sink and lazily sauntered outside. He felt a tug on his sleeve and turned around.

"I know it was you."

Noctis froze, his mind drawing a blank. How could he explain himself? She knew as well as he did that him skulking outside the door was not an accident.

"When you said you would get back at me, I expected something more tactful, Noctis."

"I recall you mentioning you'd look forward to it", he couldn't help his snarky remark. Her gaze fell. She let go of his sleeve and turned around to head back to their shared room.

"You stink. Go wash those guts out of your hair." And she was gone.

He really needed to work on his pickup lines.


	4. Fencing

Title: Fencing  
Genre: Friendship  
Summary: Takes place after Luna joins Noctis and his crew.

 **Chapter 4: Fencing**

It had been awhile since Luna had the chance to cross swords in a friendly spar. She had kept a strict routine of practicing fencing daily – even if it wasn't nearly as effective against inanimate barrels and dummies compared to an actual living opponent. She wasn't about to pass a chance to hone her skills against a professional swordsman.

Her rapier rested comfortably against her hip as she stretched. Her opponent swung his massive broadsword lazily, the muscles beneath his tattooed skin bulging with each movement. Luna eyed his muscular physique out of the corner of her eye. It was clear he wielded his weapon for more than just a show. She had yet to see him and his companions in action against the local wildlife or imperial soldiers, but she had no doubts he could hospitalize her with one well aimed swing. If she were to take this challenge seriously she would have to push her body to its limit in terms of speed and agility.

Gladiolus' honey brown eyes bore into her with the intensity of a predator. She resisted a shudder. She had seen that look before on another face; an unfriendly face.

"You ready?"

She drew her trusty rapier and settled to a fighting stance.

"Ready."

She stood her ground as the bear of a man charged at her with a battle cry that could have chilled a lesser man to the core. She waited until she was in range of his broadsword and then lightly sidestepped at the last second. Gladiolus was rewarded with a playful smack on his backside from the flat side of her blade. He let out a surprised yelp and turned around to ready for another charge.

Luna could hear Prompto's uncontrolled laughing accompanied by Noctis' husky chuckle, but she paid no mind to the audience.

"Better tighten your belt, man! She means business!"

Gladiolus smirked and shouted back: "You might have competition, Prince Charmless!" Without waiting for a reply he went to take another deadly swing at his light footed opponent.

Deciding it was time to test her own strength, she steeled herself and planted her feet firmly on the dusty road. Blocking such a massive blade with her thin rapier was no easy feat; she had to rely on series of complex maneuvers. Her wrist was beginning to ache from the strain.

 _Time to strike back._

With a flurry of blonde locks and faded travel wear, she lunged at him. He in turn blocked her each strike. Her frustration grew with each block. His attacks were slow and heavy, but he was quick to switch to defensive and predict the next swing. With a sword as big as his, he did not have to move it much at all to keep himself completely shielded from her fast thrusts. This was going nowhere.

 _He's trying to tire me and then finish me off_ , she realized. Her sword arm was trembling from the exercise. Sweat beads glimmered on her forehead, her breathing was shallow. Gladiolus seemed to notice and dropped his stance.

"We could call it a draw", he offered. Luna frowned. She did not enjoy being coddled. She needed this workout.

"No. First one to disarm the opponent wins", she boldly declared. This was her chance. She needed to prove them – and most of all herself – that she was capable against any foe.

Gladiolus cast a helpless glance behind him, most likely aimed at Noctis, but raised his sword and nodded in agreement. She lunged forward, making a show to swipe at his head while readying to aim at his tattooed arms.

She was so caught up in the fight that she had completely ignored the change in their surroundings. Instead of a dusty road, they had moved to spar on wet slippery grass. Completely caught off guard when her foot slipped, she found herself sliding rather ungracefully until her back met the forest floor. She didn't have time to dodge the incoming broadsword stuck in mid swing. She was out cold before she could feel any pain.

When Luna came to, she was greeted by a pair of spectacles that reflected her groggy expression.

"Ah, the Lady awakens", Ignis' said pleasantly before withdrawing from her vision. She noted she was in a tent. The sun was still up, so she couldn't have been out for too long.

"She gonna be ok?" Prompto's voice came from outside the tent.

"Quite fine, I assure you. She merely hit her head."

And then it all came back to her.

Prompto's shocked cry, the stampede of Noctis' running feet as he rushed to her side before she passed out. Her last vision was the horrified guilt ridden face of Gladiolus.

 _Oh…_

How embarrassing. She should have agreed to a draw instead of humiliating herself by trying to act strong.

"How long was I out?" she kept her voice carefully even.

"Merely an hour. We're still on schedule, rest assured."

"Good." She slowly sat up and let her body adjust. The last thing she needed was the men thinking she needed to be grounded to bed rest. Or 'sleeping bag rest' in this case.

"Best we begin packing and head for the road", she stood up, picked her rapier and tied it to her belt. Her head was pounding and her vision occasionally blurred, but she was sure she would be rid of all that after a nap on the road.

"Capital idea, my Lady."

After everything was set, the quintet took their respective places on the car and set off.

Luna could see from the corner of her eye Gladiolus occasionally glancing her way, opening his mouth as if to address her, only to close it and go back to staring at his hands. Did he think it was his fault that she had been careless and not minded her surroundings? She wanted to put his mind at ease, but was not sure how to bring it up. She figured they would need some privacy to sort it out; he probably felt too ashamed to discuss it with the other three listening. But having a private word in this circle of friends was near impossible. Luna internally huffed in frustration.

Suddenly an idea formed in her mind.

"Ignis, may I borrow a pen, please?"

"Of course. Prompto, give this to the Lady, if you please."

Prompto reached behind him and offered the pen to her. "Just have tissues for paper. Sorry", he scratched his head sheepishly.

Luna shook her head dismissively and accepted the pen. "That's fine, I will manage."

Noctis eyed her curiously as she rolled her left sleeve up and began writing in elegant small script on her skin. He caught her eye and raised his brow in silent query. In reply she showed her arm, his hand pulling it closer as he peered at the print.

 _Don't blame yourself._

She withdrew her arm and subtly nodded towards Gladiolus who was eyeing the scenery, lost in thought.

A small smile rose to Noctis' lips. Guess she wasn't the only one who had noticed the bodyguard's uncharacteristic behavior.

"Go on", he mouthed to her before closing his eyes and leaning back, feigning sleep.

Luna turned to Gladiolus and casually tapped his thigh to get his attention and showed the message on her arm. The older man stared at the message for good six seconds, his thick brows knitted together. Then his frown melted and he grinned widely. He checked not-so-subtly if the other men were watching. When it was apparent the coast was clear, he took her small hand in his and gave it a brief squeeze and nodded his thanks. He released her hand, cracked his neck and stretched his stiff muscles from hours of unnecessary stress and worry. He looked positively relieved.

Luna didn't bother trying to hide the smug curve of her lips as she pulled her sleeve down and returned her attention to the road. Best she kept the pen awhile longer, lest Ignis and Prompto start asking questions.

She noted the supposedly napping prince wore a faint, nearly unnoticeable smile. His happiness was connected to those around him. If one of them had a problem, he would share it and get to the bottom of it. They would do the same for him. With the little act of kindness she had displayed to his bodyguard, she might have just bought entrance to his inner circle. Maybe one day she could unload her troubles to these four men and share their pain and joy.

She felt a faint brush of finger tips and looked down to see a motorcycle-gloved hand slip over hers. Her eyes darted to his face and saw his brilliant blue eyes staring back at her in approval.

 _Maybe that day won't be far from now._


	5. Scoping babes

Title: Scoping babes  
Genre: Friendship, humor  
Summary: Prompto learns something new about their latest addition to the team.

 **Chapter 5: Scoping babes**

"You think she would be my type?"

Luna turned her head casually, pretending to admire the decorations on the wall while subtly eyeing the waitress Prompto had pointed out.

"No. Too concerned with her looks."

"You think? How can you tell?"

"She wears a shirt two sizes too small and wears awfully lot of trinkets for such a hygiene sensitive job."

Prompto leaned his chin on his hand and hummed. "So she'd be the type to ask me every morning if a dress makes her look fat." He was still clearly admiring the waitress's rather obvious curves. Luna went back to reading the menu.

"On top of that she will most likely expect you to shower her with expensive gifts. Better go hunt more behemoth horns before you try your luck with her."

A long disappointed sigh followed by an almost incoherent mumble. "One Dead-Eye was enough for me." He turned to eye a lone woman sipping wine on a nearby table. "What about her?"

Luna took out a hand mirror from her handbag and turned it until she could see Prompto's next target.

"Taken. You can clearly see the imprint of an engagement ring on her ring finger. She's wearing a nurse's uniform underneath her civvies and her job obviously doesn't allow any loose objects, which explains the lack of a ring." She made a show to fix her makeup before putting the mirror away.

"Hey, you're pretty good at this. Ever considered becoming a detective?"

"I am a politician, is that not close enough?" she smirked.

"Do they teach you that stuff or do you learn as you go? I might join the club." Prompto grinned, his focus on the menu long gone.

"You might wish to reconsider. With your attention span you might accidently vote for the removal of chocobo industry. What would become of you then?"

Prompto tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Nah, I think I would snap to attention the second someone mentioned chocobos", he nodded as if agreeing with himself.

Luna giggled. A very short laughter that barely escaped behind her hand, but it was definitely there. When was the last time she had giggled? Prompto's grin widened. He ran his hand through his unkempt hair in smug self-satisfaction. She was finally opening up.

Luna saw Noctis, Ignis and Gladiolus enter the restaurant from the corner of her eye. Noctis strolled next to her and leaned over the table.

"So what did you two order for us?"

Prompto clasped hands behind his head and leaned back with his chair. "Nothing yet."

Noctis frowned. "What _have_ you been doing the past hour, then?"

"Scoping babes", the freckled youth replied easily. Noctis pushed one of the lifted chair's legs subtly. Prompto lost his balance and fell with a surprised cry.

"Do try to act in a suitable fashion", Ignis chided and helped the flustered blond to his feet. Gladiolus took Prompto's seat and ignored his protests while Ignis took a seat next to him.

"Wasn't like you were gonna order anything anyway", Gladiolus flicked the younger man's forehead and picked up the discarded menu. Prompto scowled and took another chair from a nearby table. Noctis sat down between Luna and Gladiolus.

"So, what we having?" he leaned over to read the menu with Luna, arm resting on the back of her chair.

"Something that doesn't give Ignis gas", Prompto snickered. Ignis pointedly ignored him and concentrated on studying the menu.

When it was time to order, the waitress Prompto and Luna had been discussing earlier came to them, her many bracelets chiming on her slim wrists as she wrote down their orders. Prompto's gaze remained glued on her chest until she turned and left. He sighed wistfully.

"Give it up, she's way out of your league", Gladiolus ruffled Prompto's hair who in return swatted the offending hand away.

"Yeah, so I heard."

"Oh, you actually hit on her?"

"Naw. Our secret 'girlfriend material'-expert gave me a thorough analysis", Prompto winked at Luna. Gladiolus turned to her in surprise.

"Really? I might need to borrow your expertise one of these days."

"Cindy's not into you", Luna said and sipped her glass of water nonchalantly.

"Oww, buuurned!" Prompto cackled.

Gladiolus shrugged and leaned back in his seat. "Of course, experts are known to be mistaken from time to time."

"Of course", Ignis agreed dryly.

"Forever in denial", Noctis muttered under his breath.

Luna raised a brow. "Cindy or Gladiolus?"

"Both", he chuckled.

Their food arrived. The meal was eaten in a comfortable silence.

Luna couldn't help but feel at home surrounded by these four men. She felt like she finally belonged somewhere. She glanced to her right and saw Noctis devour his meal as if he had been starving for days. To her left Ignis was slicing meat to smaller bites. _Always so keen on manners and etiquette_ , she mused. As a complete contrast Prompto was eating his steak with the grace of a famished behemoth. Gladiolus wasn't much better, but he had the good sense to use a napkin to at least appear civilized.

Who was she kidding? They had been eating rations and camp food (which mostly consisted of wildlife meat) for weeks. She ought to throw her manners out of the window and answer her stomach's angry demand for food. She took a breath; mentally preparing herself to do something she had no previous recollection. She dug into her food greedily in a very unladylike manner. She noted Ignis stopped mid bite to openly stare at her.

Once she was done, she daintily wiped her lips with a napkin and pushed the plate away from her to signal she was done.

"Had I realized the Lady was so hungry, I would have hurried with our errand earlier."

Luna waved her hand dismissively and shook her head. "When you do something, best to do it right. Rushing will force you to backtrack which results in double amount of time wasted."

"Sounds like something Cindy told us once", Gladiolus commented as he chewed his food thoughtfully.

"Sounds like you need a girlfriend to get your head back in the game. Your thoughts are lands away in Hammerhead's garage", Noctis quipped.

"Don't have room for one on the car when yours has taken the last seat", Gladiolus trailed off when he noticed Noctis freeze and Luna stare blankly at him.

Awkward silence ensued.

Ignis cleared his throat, Prompto shuffled his feet restlessly.

"I mean no disrespect, Luna", Gladiolus finally managed.

"Of course not", her face was carefully neutral, but Noctis could see a mischievous glint in her eye. "But you owe me a fencing match."

"Sure you're up for it after the last time?"

"This time will be different. I learn from my mistakes."

"…Right."

Prompto nudged the older man's side. "Look at it this way; only real friends beat the crap out of each other and then toast their strengthened friendship with a hi-potion."

"You offerin'?" Gladiolus casually wrapped a heavy arm around Prompto's slim shoulders. He in return laughed nervously and tried to wiggle his way out of the stronger man's grip. "W-we're still on our way to 'real friendship-hood'."

"All the more reason to seal the deal. Like real men."

"You could start with Noct?"

"Fat chance", deadpanned the prince.


	6. Winter coat

Title: Winter coat  
Genre: Romance, humor  
Summary: Noctis should've paid more attention to the rapidly decreasing temperature.

 **Chapter 6: Winter coat**

Noctis buried his hands deep in his jacket's pockets and restlessly tapped his foot. Luna was late and he was freezing. Of all the times _now_ was when she decided to follow his suggestion of not being so strictly punctual all the time. He had zipped his jacket fully, but the thin cloth did little to keep him warm. He cursed under his breath as another cold breeze blew by him. Who was it that claimed the city was always warm and sunny as Altissia during summer? Probably Prompto. Once he got back to the hotel he'd make sure to throw Prompto to the streets in his undergarments for an hour and see just how much fine tuning his memory required.

He pulled his high collar to cover his lower face, but the vicious wind had already done its work. His ears were stinging from the cold and he could hardly feel his hands. His toes weren't faring much better, but at least he had somewhat decent shoes. He wished for the fifth time that he'd put more clothes on or at least something with long sleeves. Then again he'd be next to a warm hearth by now if his all-or-nothing lady friend had shown up on time.

 _Damn you, Prompto. Damn you, Luna._

"You're early", a familiar voice interrupted his peevish thoughts. "You look half-frozen."

"Early?" He stared at her incredulously. "You're the one who's late. I'm a minute away from looking fully frozen", he complained and tried to bury his numb chin underneath the feeble warmth of his collar.

"We agreed to meet here in _two_ hours, Noct. You were not listening to me, were you?" Luna had that accusing look that he had learnt to recognize; her posture straight, hands on her hips, head slightly tilted to the side and her brows creased in a frown.

"Of course I listened! It just… slipped my mind."

"Just so." He didn't miss the roll of her eyes as she turned around and began to unbutton her light winter coat.

"What are you doing?" No sooner had he asked he felt warmth seep to his frostbitten skin. She helped him put her coat on that was several sizes too small for him. She took a step back and admired her handiwork.

"Can't say it compliments your curves, but at least it will keep you warm until we get back to the others."

He stared at her momentarily speechless. He noticed she was wearing a snug white high collared jumper and had a light blue scarf wrapped around her neck. The jumper's star-decorated hem reached mid-thigh. He didn't doubt she had several layers of clothing underneath her faded jeans as well. Guess she really was prepared for the noticeably colder climate, better than he was, anyway.

"I'd offer my gloves, but your hands are too big."

"That's fine", he stuffed his hands to the new coat's pockets which unfortunately were way too small to hold anything besides maybe a few keys inside. He attempted to pull the sleeves to cover his clammy hands, but they were too short. Who designed such impractical clothing? He ought to find them and talk sense into them before requesting their boss to fire and replace such incompetent fools. Frustrated, he opted to put his hands back to his own jacket's cold pockets. Better than nothing, he supposed.

Luna crossed her arms and looked at Noctis pensively. "You look positively ready to murder someone."

"Just in case someone dares to look my way and make strange assumptions", was his brusque reply.

"You could pull the hood up. No-one would be able to tell that you're a man", he didn't miss the mischievous glint in her eyes. "Just a woman who has outgrown her wardrobe."

"You mock me."

"Only when there's no-one else to witness it. It is your word against mine."

 _Clever little imp, aren't you._

They walked through a park. Frost crunched underneath their heavy boots. There was no snow, but the temperature was well below freezing. The sun hid behind a thick layer of grey clouds and the daylight was quickly fading. Noctis' hunched figure would have easily blended with his dark surroundings if it weren't for the white coat he wore. Luna on the other hand positively glowed in the dark with her light hair, pale skin and white clothes. She reminded him of a beacon. While the actual beacons helped ships not to crash into shoals, his beacon helped him not crash into nearby trees.

The street lamps slowly flickered to life as the natural light made room for dusk. Just as well, his flashlight was out of batteries and he didn't wish to fumble around blindly even if he had a walking-talking glow stick next to him. He doubted she would find his newest mental descriptions of her flattering.

"You know, usually it's the man offering the jacket to the lady", he commented off-handedly as he shambled next to her.

"Good thing tradition is overrated, right?" She cast him a sly glance. He recognized his old quote and grinned to himself behind his collar before replying in a serious tone: "Exactly."

The park had been deserted except for the two of them and even the streets had only few people hurrying home to warmth. There was a strange absence of car traffic besides the occasional public transport.

"Guess the locals do not wish to take a risk with black ice", Luna pondered.

"They don't have studded tires for winter? Thought they'd be prepared in a cold climate like this."

"This is the coldest it has been for as long as I've lived. It used to be much warmer here; I often visited this city as a child with my parents. It only gets this cold near the mountains further north. I suspect something", she paused, her brows knitting together in worry, "less natural as the cause."

Noctis' brows shot up. "You think _she_ has begun to live here?"

"I would not be surprised if the first snowstorm in generations were to hit in the upcoming weeks", she wrapped her arms around herself and suppressed a shiver.

"Shiva", Noctis whispered. "We need to discuss this with the others and observe the situation. Her last known location was up north, but it's been rumored that the blizzards have ceased and the year-round snow has begun to melt. It's not out of the question that she would've decided to have a change in scenery."

Luna held her right elbow with her left hand while her right hand's forefinger flicked against her collarbone, a subconscious habit she had when she was deep in thought. He found it endearing.

"I doubt she would change location for something as human as boredom. There must be a reason."

"I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of it soon."

She rubbed her chilled arms with her gloved hands. "Hopefully by then you'll have your own winter coat."

Noctis took a step away from her and held the coat possessively. "And here I was starting to get used to it."

"Might as well wear a corset to complete the look, then." She reached forward and patted his hair, trying to smooth it to a style more befitting to a woman. He brushed her pestering hand away and chuckled huskily.

"Don't think they come in my size."

A snowflake fell, then another. Soon the sky was full of gently swaying white powder. The flakes casted shadows against the street lamp's light under which the two young adults stood. Perhaps the cold had addled his brain, but Noctis swore he saw the fallen frost beads form a crown on top of his fiancée's head. Then again it must have been a combination of his mind playing tricks and the angle of the light. The moment she stepped out of the light, the illusion was broken.

"It has been awhile since I've seen virgin snow such as this", she muttered to herself as she took in the sight of snowfall in the dim light. Noctis hmm'ed in response and moved beside her. He ignored her puzzled expression as he awkwardly wrapped his arm around her shivering form, the unfitting sleeve of her coat restricting his movement slightly. He'd hoarded their source of warmth for long enough, he figured. To his satisfaction she melded to his side almost instantly, their breaths merging in a dance of steam.

"I thought you were in a hurry to get back", she glanced up at him, expression unreadable.

"I was", he agreed and lowered his head until their noses touched. She wet her lips unconsciously and stared back at him wide-eyed. He was so close to indulging himself with the taste of her pale chapped lips, but the apprehension in her gaze held him back. He let out a shuddering breath and opted to plant a sweet kiss on the corner of her lips before withdrawing. Gently guiding her with his arm still around her, they walked in silence, neither not really knowing what to say, but still feeling oddly content.

He hoped the seams of her coat would hold until they got to their destination.


	7. Guilt

Title: Guilt  
Genre: Hurt/comfort, friendship, romance  
Summary: Lunafreya learns to forgive herself after years of self-remorse.

 **Chapter 7: Guilt**

It was a pleasantly cool night. The stars and the crescent moon shone brightly, unhidden by the clouds. A lone figure huddled next to the merrily crackling campfire Noctis and his companions had set up for the night. Luna had volunteered to take the first watch; she was confident she would have no trouble staying alert after taking a long nap on the road.

She had been travelling with the four men for three months searching for the missing King Regis and evading imperial forces. Noctis grew more agitated over time, jumping at every false lead or rumor like a lifeline. Luna could sympathize; if it were her parents, she would have given her all to reunite with them.

However, there were perks to all this travelling; being so far away from civilization and cluttered residential areas had significantly eased her mind. It had been days since she had witnessed the 'light' that signified death's looming presence. In a way it was a comforting bliss to not witness the opening of Etro's Gate, yet at the same time it felt almost like something was wrong. As if you could no longer see the end of the tunnel even if you took solace in its welcoming darkness and shelter.

A twig snapped nearby, alerting of an unannounced presence. Luna was on her feet, rapier drawn before she registered the source as Noctis returning from his evening stroll. He sat down next to her and leaned forward, she followed his example. No words needed to be exchanged. They basked in the warmth of the fire and in each other's presence.

Luna felt closeness towards this silent man, closeness that she didn't recall feeling even with her own parents or dearest handmaidens. It was born from otherworldly experiences that they had shared since they were children. Years had separated them, but their time together after reuniting in Altissia had closed the gap between them. He understood her in a way no living being could; he saw the light and suffered from the same nightmares she did. They rarely discussed their shared power or their experiences concerning the light, but they understood each other and accepted the need for silence and for the simple reminder of what was real. Usually just a simple touch in passing to make sure the other really _was_ there was all that was needed to get past the most recent vision.

Noctis shifted and turned to face her.

"I can take over, you go get some sleep."

Pulling her knees to her chin, she shook her head, "Thank you, but I do not wish to rest yet. I need time to think", she glanced at her companion before settling her gaze to the dance of flames, "about _things_."

"Ah."

They sat in silence for a moment longer before Noctis got up to cast a log into the fire. The wood crackled, a steady stream of smoke rising above treetops. They could hear a lone cry of a sabertusk followed by bloodthirsty squeals of goblins somewhere in the distance.

"Wanna talk about it?" Two months ago her answer would have been a resounding 'no', but things had changed. _They_ had changed. Luna trusted Noctis. She didn't flinch or drum her fingers in anxiety when he sat back down next to her and put a reassuring arm around her slight form. "Might help you think things through faster."

Encouraged, Luna admitted to her immature fear, "I cannot help but wonder if I would have been able to prevent my parents' death had I had the ability to predict it sooner." She felt more than heard the sigh against her cheek.

"They died during the invasion, right?"

Luna nodded mutely in confirmation. She wasn't sure if she had leaned against him or if he had pulled her closer, but she found that she didn't care. It felt right.

"What _could_ you do at that age? Demand them to barricade themselves or double their guard? To run and hide? I doubt they would've listened. Etro, _I_ wouldn't listen if a squirt the size of a fire extinguisher claimed to know better."

Noctis tilted his head to see Luna's face, but she refused to meet his gaze and stubbornly kept her eyes fixed on the rocky ground. He gently brushed her tangled hair aside with his free hand, but halted in alarm at the sight of fresh tears on her cheeks. Ashamed, she quickly turned her head and wiped the evidence away. Noctis frowned and tried to recall the times his father had comforted him. All he could remember was the safe loving embrace that enclosed him. Wrapping his free arm around the upset woman had no immediate effect, but it didn't take long for the valves of her self-control to burst open. She turned and buried her tear stained face into the crook of his neck and wrapped her arms around his middle, quietly weeping all the while. Noctis didn't know what to do, so he stroked her back in – what he hoped was – comforting circles.

Eventually her shaking subsided. She hesitantly removed her arms around him and let her hands rest against his chest, her cheeks burning from embarrassment and her gaze glued to his collarbone, reluctant to meet his inquiring eyes.

"I apologize. I made a mess of your shirt", was all she managed to mumble.

Not willing to let go of her just yet after witnessing such a personal moment, Noctis shrugged and replied lightly with a sly smile: "If you're willing to wash it afterwards you can make as big a mess as you like." He was rewarded with a strangled laugh that could have easily been a sob. "Hey now, just because your parents are gone doesn't mean they don't live _within_ you and influence your everyday life. I bet they're proud of you."

Finally she lifted her downcast eyes and gave him a watery smile. "You truly believe that?"

"Of course. Agreeing to marry someone as amazing as I–", he trailed off as she playfully pushed him away. "Truth can be hard to handle, it seems", he drawled as she made a face at him.

"The only amazing quality about you is your ego", she huffed, but he saw the corner of her lips twitch with a suppressed smile.

"So I'm told."

They stood in silence, listening to the dying cracks and pops of dry twigs. He went to toss another log into the fire and took his previous spot to gaze at the clear night sky.

"Thank you, Noct."

He turned to face her and stuffed his hands deep in his pockets. She clasped her hands together, a sincere smile adorning her slightly flushed face.

"You helped me put the past behind", she elaborated. "No matter how much I told myself that my parents' death was never my fault, the helpless child in me always convinced me otherwise", she took a shuddering breath, fighting to keep her tone even, her eyes glazing over as she spoke, "hearing a second opinion – it really helps." She finally met his gaze, no longer troubled, guilty or sad.

"Better get used to it. Once we're married, you'll hear plenty of 'second opinions'", he sounded very sure of himself as if he had no doubts that one day the two of them would be wed and they would share each other's everyday lives.

She took in his relaxed stance, hands still in his pockets like a bashful school boy's, but the intense mature focus in his eyes betrayed his true personality. He could act like a lazy slob, but he had this permanent aura of authority surrounding him that demanded respect. He was a fascinating character.

"I take it back; your snark is equally amazing to your ego."

"Wasn't being snarky", he replied sourly.

"Well, then. I believe my watch is up. Better hop to it, Highness", she singsonged, all traces of tears and guilt long gone.

"Why is it that my own companions and subjects use my title as an insult? Does no-one respect royalty anymore?" He had no idea how much her respect for him had grown that night. Maybe best he never would lest his head grew too big.

 _But suppose a small token of thanks would not hurt anybody._

Feeling bold, she walked up to him, stood on her tiptoes and pecked him on the cheek.

"Goodnight."

Noctis smiled faintly in return, "I could get used to that."

With a final parting glance she crawled to their shared tent and got ready for the night.

 _So could I, Noct, so could I._

That night her sleep was devoid of nightmares.

* * *

 _A/N: I realize all of the characters are more or less out of character. We don't really know much about them, especially about Luna, and I'm afraid my imagination+writing skills are very limited. I've tried to write Luna as a traumatized but strongwilled lady, while Noctis is insecure but hides it by acting cool or snarky. I probably failed on that attempt, but I'll try to better myself in the future._

 _I'd also like to thank everyone for their kind reviews. I wasn't going to write this chapter, but after reading them, I got motivated to give it another go. :)_


	8. Coffee

Title: Coffee  
Chapter's genre: Humor, friendship  
Summary: Ignis learns that sharing is caring – when under pressure.

 **Chapter 8: Coffee  
**

To Ignis coffee brewing was a combination of love, art and science. An amateur could make a pot of coffee as easily as a toddler could make a finger painting, but that didn't make it an _Etro's Rest_ quality painting. It took more than measuring water and coffee grounds or buying cheap instant coffee. Ignis took pride in being a man of refinement and owning a rather expensive taste. Even so, he was the most level headed of the group when it came to shopping and managing goods. He knew how to get a good bargain on the market. So it was only fair he allowed himself to indulge in purchasing a packet of Ebony, at least that's how he justified it to himself.

He was lax in sharing what little he had brought with him – not that the other three really cared about touching his cooking utensils – but when it came to Ebony Ignis turned into a fierce mother bear. He went so far as keeping his precious coffee stock under lock and key. More than once he had caught Prompto trying to picklock his travel-sized safe. To him a lock apparently meant 'please open me' instead of the more traditional 'keep your filthy hands off my property'. Even so, as far as Ignis was aware, his companions preferred the cheap grog common men referred to as coffee (which he secretly called plebe piss in his inner monologue).

Suffice to say it came to him as a shock – horror would be a better description to what he felt – when it became known that the Lady Lunafreya also shared his love for proper high quality coffee. And not for just any brand, oh no, but his beloved Ebony. Prompto wasted no time revealing Ignis' not-so-secret stash and how he always made sure to stock enough for their long drives.

"Makes sense", she said. "He _is_ the one driving for hours without break. Takes more than practice to keep sharp focus for extended periods."

Well. That was a compliment if he ever heard one. He straightened his posture in smug self-satisfaction.

"But a gentleman will share with a lady in dire need for good quality coffee."

… Only to feel the world come crashing down on him all over again.

"Yeah, Iggy. Be a gentleman and open the safe, so all of us noble folk can take part in your fine refinements", Prompto urged.

"That singles you out, then, _Lord_ Prompto", Gladiolus quipped, chuckling as the young man's pompous noble-act fell faster than the Prince falls asleep during council meetings.

"That's harsh", the blonde sulked, but instantly brightened. "Although, you gotta admit Lord Prompto has a certain ring to it. Maybe one day I'll do something great and earn myself a fancy title." He was beaming like a kid at a chocobo ranch as he imagined himself wearing a fancy suit, surrounded by classy highborn ladies and being addressed as milord.

Ignis could feel the urge to roll his eyes burn behind his closed eyelids as he pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. On a positive note, Prompto was too busy foaming about his most certain future lordshipness that the sensitive topic concerning Ignis' safe was forgotten. He had won some time to prepare himself, ready to defend his beloved Ebony against the imminent appeal to his chivalry. He knew it would be a lost cause. He wasn't quite ready to resort to groveling to spare his stock. Compromises would have to be made.

He noticed Lunafreya glancing towards his safe occasionally.

Probably much sooner than he'd prefer.

* * *

They sat around a cheery campfire, bantering back and forth – in a mild fashion, one might add. They were making an effort to behave around female company and keep the rowdier stories behind closed doors. Ignis noted that the Prince was making subtle advances on his betrothed; resting his hand on the small of her back, 'accidently' brushing fingers with her – what he considered typical awkward 'teenagers with crushes' -clichés. Ignis would've commented on it, but he found it strangely endearing to see His Highness go through the motions of what he suspected to be his first love. He was so engrossed watching as Lady Lunafreya demurely accepted a mug of coffee from Noctis that he completely missed the devilish smirk flash across Gladiolus' face that should've set the alarm bells ringing in his head.

Never dropping his gaze from the highborn pair, Ignis reached for his mug and watched as Lunafreya brought hers to her face. Her eyes closed as she inhaled the scent of her coffee. She daintily sipped it, savouring each gulp. Ignis brought his mug to his lips, eager to fulfill his need for caffeine.

His eyes bulged and he spat the foul liquid back into his mug and turned to glare daggers at suspect number one.

Prompto was shaking with laughter. Next to him Gladiolus was trying to keep a poker face, but failing miserably while Noctis merely raised an eyebrow in question. Lunafreya, oblivious to the world around her, held her mug close to her face breathing in the stolen Ebony's scent. Her eyes were still closed as if she was far beyond their reach in some distant memory the men had no access to.

"You will regret that, I'm afraid", Ignis said calmly as he dumped the mockery of coffee on the ground.

"I wouldn't have had to do that if you had offered to share it in the first place", Prompto retorted in a singsong.

"How very ungentlemanly of you", Noctis drawled as he caught on what was going on.

"I blame my lack of manners on my present company's influence", Ignis shot back and went to unlock his safe. To the three men's surprise he returned with enough Ebony for four mugs. "But I will not stand idle while my reputation is on the line."

No love, art nor science was spared on brewing the next set of Ebony. Ignis made sure to do his utmost best to show them how serious he was. Prompto got impatient midway, but Ignis merely slapped his overeager hand away and continued to work. Twenty minutes later four steaming mugs were raised in a toast. Ignis watched his companion's faces with keen interest as they took their first tentative sip of the godly beverage.

Gladiolus swirled the coffee in his mug absently and smacked his lips in discontent. Prompto's face reminded Ignis of a Garula about to sneeze. Noctis took a tiny sip of the coffee, wrinkled his nose in distaste and offered his mug to Lunafreya who had returned to the land of living. She eagerly replaced her empty mug and was surprisingly aware for the rest of the evening.

All in all Ignis was happy to note that at least the three men would not bother him about his beloved coffee again. There was still the matter of sharing with Lady Lunafreya, but he was sure they could come to some kind of agreement. She was a reasonable woman, after all. Perhaps if she put her feminine charm to use to get a discount on soap bars they could get even. Speaking of which…

"I could do with a bath."

"Oh yeah, you better. Wouldn't want you to feel _unkempt_."

Prompto, as expected.

"You take pride in your poor hygiene?"

A soap bar flew across the air. Ignis barely managed to catch it.

"Greetings from Tenebrae from yours truly", Lunafreya continued to sip her coffee as Ignis smelled the sweet scented soap. Not a feminine smell that he'd expect her to use. Perhaps it was originally meant as a betrothal gift to the Prince? Frankly His Highness spent so much time glued to her side he was surprised they didn't share smells by now. Ignis nodded his thanks and set the soap bar next to his towel.

Oh yes. If these were the terms to surrender half of his Ebony stock he could certainly live with that.

* * *

 _A/N: I don't drink coffee. I know nothing about coffee. I hope it's not too obvious._

 _You might be wondering why I stopped writing almost a year back. Reason is that they revealed Lunafreya was an Oracle and then there was the whole thing about Gentiana. I didn't really know how to fit all of that in my short stories as these are based on the little information that Episode Duscae offered. I had a story at work dedicated to Ignis' and Luna's friendship, but I lost the notebook where I wrote the draft. Was something about them being stuck under a collapsed building and Iggy losing his glasses and stepping over a corpse and stuff. Can't say I honestly remember much about it anymore. I'll try to find it and see if it's worth posting._

 _Hope you've all had fun with the Uncovered event! I'm not sure if I'll write more chapters with the new information we've been given. We'll see! :)_


	9. Sleep

Title: Sleep  
Genre: Angst, hurt/comfort, friendship  
Summary: Noctis was always a heavy sleeper, but after his near death experience as a child, he has to adjust to the difficulty of waking up.

 **Chapter 9: Sleep**

Waking up was a long process to Noctis. It took several alarms and slaps to the face before he could see past the hazy blur of sleep. Even after all that he still took a long while to truly become aware of himself and his surroundings. Most of the mornings he went on what he referred to as autopilot; sticking to the daily routine without wasting conscious thought on anything. But when you were the most wanted person on the continent and hounded at every step you really had to get a move on at the wee hours of the night – just when he was falling to the deepest state of sleep.

Coffee was his saving grace; without it he would have died a gruesome death a thousand times over. Ignis was always sure to keep a stock of regular good old-fashioned coffee next to his beloved Ebony. They had learnt long time ago that a sleep deprived prince was as likely to cause trouble as he was likely to dive head first into it.

It was no wonder then that one day on the road when Ignis announced that their stock of coffee was depleting that the normally cool and collected heir to the Lucian throne was quite close to having a mental breakdown.

"Are you _sure_ the nearest gas station is two days away?" he asked for the fifth time that afternoon.

"Yes, the previous shopkeeper made it clear that the road we are taking doesn't have any civilization until the border. He also stressed that the road is in poor condition after the bombing and we ought to drive more cautiously. There's no garage this time to fix the car if we venture carelessly."

Noctis groaned and buried his face in his palms. As much as he enjoyed a good nap he did not enjoy being stuck in the foggy aftermath of sleep. It was then that he had visions of death; both of strangers' he had never seen before and people he knew and loved. Thankfully he witnessed the latter far less often. In that state, between sleep and wake, he was conscious enough to realize he wasn't really physically there within his own dream witnessing another poor soul's passing, but at the same time he was too drowsy to force himself to full awareness. Sometimes he would even see the light escaping from Etro's Gate a moment after his vision. The sight never failed to make his skin crawl.

On bad mornings he would lie in paralysis, hearing the sounds around him yet unable to concentrate and actually listen. His brain fed him false images and sounds that were so unlike those in normal dreams. Worst part was how he could remember the visions clearly long after he had woken. It was a rare blessing when he _did_ forget. He would hear the sounds in his visions overlap with the sounds of the real world. _Conscious world_ is what he thought of it as. To him the visions were as real as the brilliant sunset he was currently witnessing.

Even though the visions rarely lasted longer than five minutes, his struggling consciousness made it feel like hours. During those longest minutes of his life he was completely helpless and unresponsive. No matter how badly he wanted to shake himself to awareness and communicate with the people around him, the only thing that he had limited control over was his breathing.

He had had his first vision and paralysis after waking up from a coma that followed his near-death experience. He had been utterly terrified and felt helpless – the feeling was only intensified by his immobility. King Regis had comforted him and told him that the wheelchair was only temporary; his leg would heal in no time. At the time he had been too confused with all that had happened in such a short period of time that he hadn't mentioned his inner turmoil to his father.

The cure he had silently prayed for came in the unexpected form of a dog. Umbra was its name according to the Fleurets' only child. Noctis had sat on his wheelchair and petted the dog while Luna had chatted to him excitedly. One moment he was completely focused on the pretty girl's stories about Tenebrae and the next he had passed out from an unexpected wave of exhaustion. When he came to, Umbra was lying by his feet, nudging his hand with its wet nose. He did not realize it at the time, but it had been the first time in weeks that he had woken without being stuck in a vision.

Luna had given Umbra to him as a sign of their newfound friendship and the dog and the boy became nigh inseparable. The dog seemed to sense when Noctis was suffering from paralysis and would jump on the bed and lie down on Noctis' stomach. His caretakers were less than thrilled with the dog hair in his sheets, but Noctis would rather hear their scolding and scoffing than suffer through visions he did not understand and was deeply afraid of.

Years later he found out that a simple touch could rouse him from the paralysis. As he and his three companions set on their journey to Altissia, they agreed that when he was stuck in a vision he would make use of his limited ability to control breathing and signal his companions with quick short breaths that he needed help to get through the vision. Over time their agreement had altered to include nudging, patting, slapping and shaking to the young prince's annoyance.

Noctis snapped out of his musings at the sound of Prompto's voice. "If worst comes to worst we could just dump a bucket of cold water on him", he suggested tad too eagerly.

"He might impale you", Gladiolus' looked pointedly at the younger man's covered right arm. "Don't you remember the last time you tried to wake him up with unorthodox methods?" Gladiolus preferred not to repeat that incident. They had had to listen to Prompto's pitiful wailing for days as Ignis was forced to stitch his right upper arm without the aid of painkillers. Just their luck they had downed their last potion before the incident.

"Okay, fine", Prompto rubbed his arms suppressing a shudder. He remembered quite vividly the absolute _agony_ his arm and shoulder had been in. Even to this day he covered the scar with a black band. He claimed it was for coolness factor, but really he just didn't want Noctis be reminded of it and feel bad about it.

"How about–", his eyes followed a faraway figure of a malboro in the distance.

"No", Noctis gritted his teeth.

"Aw, c'mon, could at least–"

" _No._ "

"–try?"

"No!" Noctis did _not_ want to know what went on in that head of his sometimes.

"Okay, okay", his sulking lasted for two seconds before he turned back to face the back row. "Do you have any ideas, Luna?"

The woman in question perked at the mention of her name. "Is it so bad if we let him to take his time to get up? We're not in a hurry, are we?"

Gladiolus shot a quick look at Noctis who was obviously uncomfortable with the topic. "Not right now, no. But if we run into unfriendlies and he's napping, things could go real bad real fast."

Luna turned to look at the distressed prince beside her. He had always been a sleepy head for as long as she had known him. She still remembered how insulted she had felt when the boy had fallen asleep mid conversation for the first time. They had been just children back then. She had huffed and puffed when her exciting stories were met with silence. Shaking him had done nothing; his eyelids had remained stubbornly closed. Not taking his unresponsiveness well at all, she had run to the guest chambers where she and her parents were staying. She had rummaged through her mother's belongings and dashed back to Noctis' room where the boy remained slumped in his wheelchair. Luna had taken her mother's make up kit and smeared the unaware prince's face with blush and lipstick. Needless to say he did his utmost best to stay awake in her company thereafter. There were still times when he would go out like a light without any warning. She learnt to forgive him and would instead cover him with a shawl and order Umbra to lie by his feet and guard his sleep.

She had no canine companion with her now, but she would guard her betrothed's rest for as long as she was around. She hastily averted her eyes as Noctis stopped bemoaning his coffeeless fate and turned his attention to her. When had she gotten so soft? Had she always been like this and had merely forgotten when the Empire stole her childhood? Frowning, she turned to stare at the road.

* * *

Ignis parked Regalia by a rundown forest path that connected to the main road. The trees would shelter them for a little while and allow them to make a hasty retreat if any patrolling MTs happened to venture this far from civilization.

The quintet set their camp but decided against a campfire in fear of alerting unfriendly eyes. The meal was cold and meager, but they ate it in silence without complaint. Even the usually animated Prompto ate his canned food without a peep while grimacing all the while. The mood was tense. They could all feel the danger looming in the horizon.

Gladiolus offered to take the first shift. Luna helped Ignis clean the cooking ware before retreating to her and Noctis' shared tent.

They lay down and stared at the tent's roof, both far too awake to think about sleep.

"You see the light."

Luna turned to look at him, brows knitting together in confusion. "Of course. You know that." He hummed in response, but said no more. She suspected this was as good time as any to get him to unload whatever was bothering him. "Why?"

"Do you", he began tentatively, his voice husky and small "Do you ever see it in your dreams?" His apprehensiveness was starting to unnerve her. She had never seen him act so uncertain around her. He was always so sure of himself.

"No. Do you?"

He remained silent, but she could see the answer clearly from the way he clenched his jaw.

"Tell me."

So he did. He told about how he nearly died and was only saved because his father had the mind to come looking for him. He told her about his difficulties to wake up from both visions and sleep and how the husky she had gifted him had kept him safe all these years. He told her how he had had a vision of his cousin's death only to wake up and see the light glimmer around him as it phased through the wall which separated his chambers from his cousin's. He had run to check on him and found him dead. His face had been twisted in an ugly grimace from weeks of fighting a difficult case of malboro disease.

Luna's heart ached. Here he was baring his soul for her to see, yet she felt she couldn't do the same for him. She wasn't ready, not yet. Hesitantly she reached to take his hand in hers. All this time Noctis' gaze had been glued to the roof, but as he turned to face his betrothed she saw his eyes shine with unshed tears. He was far too stubborn to let them fall even now. She didn't know what to say or how to console him, so she did the only thing she could and held on to his hand.

She watched over him until he fell asleep and she was there to wake him up from another nightmarish vision with a gentle squeeze to his hand. She shyly caressed his cheek until the fog lifted from his eyes and he became fully aware of the world around him.

He had never felt safer.

* * *

 _A/N: The description on Noctis' sensations between sleep and awake are my personal experiences from suffering sleep paralysis. I've also read that just touching the person suffering from sleep paralysis can help the waking process. There was a story I read long time ago about a person who suffered from it and had a dog that could sense she was troubled and would help her wake up by lying on top of her._

 _Also, did I just write Luna doing the Jigglypuffs on Noctis-? Hooboy._


	10. Mutual benefits

Title: Mutual benefits  
Genre: Humor, hurt/comfort, friendship  
Summary: Takes place after Sleep.

 **Chapter 10: Mutual benefits**

"Everyone alright?" Ignis pried his knives off a destroyed magitek troop's shoulder before turning to face his companions.

"Not dead", Gladiolus called back gruffly as he wiped machine oil from his greatsword.

"Still alive", Prompto shouted to Ignis before turning to face Noctis. "You okay there, buddy?"

"Yup", he dismissed his _Avenger_ and sat down panting heavily. "Think they upgraded 'em?"

"Maybe they're getting annoyed with the amount of scrap metal we leave behind", Gladiolus kicked a severed MT's head. It landed with a loud _clang_ on the hard asphalt.

"Wonder if they get recycled", Noctis picked up a mechanical arm which had been grabbing him only moments before. He was still waiting for the chest pain and tingling aftereffect of being electrocuted to fade. "Where would one put the recycle stamp on these things, anyway?" The arm was casually tossed aside.

Prompto skipped to Noctis' side with a wide grin that threatened to split his face. It was a sure sign for an incoming joke. "Can you imagine? 'Get your very own table lamp made from a real MT's head. Now available with removable metal face mask!' Could be a hit!" Noctis shook his head, a smile tugging the corners of his bloodied lips. It was their way of coping with terrifying situations like that; to joke and make light of the fact that one of them might have died.

Luna watched their interactions in fascination. She hadn't survived the ambush unscratched, either. A bullet from an MT's arm had grazed her side. She learnt that day the banner wielding MTs weren't there to inspire patriotism in its fellow machines or to pose for tourist cameras; her bruised abdomen could testify to that. The robots moved in such a strange unpredictable way. At first they seemed to be moving in synchronization, but when the fighting began everything got chaotic.

Said bannerman, robot, _thing_ had whirled its upper body rapidly, the Empire's flag obscuring her vision and momentarily blinding her from the incoming attack. The inhumanly strong kick had sent her flying across the road. She had landed painfully on her already wounded side. And to add insult to injury the damn thing had made her empty her previous meal on the road. Her travelling coat had protected her vulnerable flesh from the most damage, but she would have to do a lot of mending if she ever wanted to wear it again. Blood slowly seeped through her shirt from the bullet wound. The bannerman had turned its attention back to the ongoing battle, kicking and flinging its arms at Prompto. Once her head had stopped pounding and her vision cleared, she got up and charged at her unaware opponent so fast the thing never knew what hit it. Even now she took savage pleasure in the memory of stabbing its blank metal face and slashing its core with her rapier. She had cast a miniature fire spell on the flag, mostly for symbolic purposes.

She swore she would do the same to the Empire itself in a much grander scale.

"Best we do not dilly dally, they know our current position", she told the men as she pulled what remained of her destroyed coat around her wounded side. They were all wounded and in need of medical attention, but all that would have to wait till they were in the clear. Silently grateful that her wounded side was the side facing Gladiolus instead of Noctis when sitting in the car, she followed the quartet as they picked their belongings and hurried to Regalia. Last thing she needed was him fussing over her when he was in just as bad condition.

* * *

The ride was filled with usual banter between the men. Noctis was chugging down cold coffee – that he had been enjoying hot and fresh before the MTs had rudely interrupted him – now mixed with hi-potion. The potions tasted as bad as one could expect from medicine. Luna found Noctis' picky eating habits rather strange. He was an adult yet still in some ways he acted like such a child.

 _A spoiled prince, no less_.

Etro knows how the young man managed to get all the nourishment his body needed with a diet like his. She could just imagine it in her head; married, living together and her nagging to him like an old crow about eating his greens. She really, really hoped he'd outgrow it by then. The last thing she wanted to be was his substitute mother.

"There's a gas station within less than five minutes", Prompto informed the back row. "Wanna take a break?"

"Still need to lick our wounds", Noctis finished his potion and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"We might have to send the least disheveled of us to resupply our medical kit. Five of us in this state is likely to draw attention", Ignis surmised. Prompto turned around in his seat to take a good look at his companions. Ignis had burn marks from dislodging the electrocuting MT's arm from Noctis. His left lens had cracked from getting swiped by another nearby MT. Gladiolus' uncovered chest was full of gashes and his leather jacket had few bullet holes that made it very clear how closely the bodyguard had been dancing with death. Noctis was still occasionally clutching to his chest, but seemed to fare better after drinking the coffee-potion. Luna's coat was a mess and–

"Are you bleeding?"

Luna jolted. She hadn't taken care of hiding her side after settling down in the car.

"It's nothing, just a scrape from hitting the asphalt", she hastily explained.

Prompto tilted his head and rubbed his chin in thought. "Guess that means I'll be your med man! All I got was a bruised knee from tripping over an MT."

"Very well, I will make you a list. And try not to stray away from the list or attract attention", Ignis said as he pulled the car over.

"Hey, no problem!" Prompto jumped off and dashed to the shop before Ignis had even taken a pen out to write his list. The royal advisor sighed and took off his ruined spectacles to rub his tired eyes.

"Give me the list, I can go make sure he gets everything", Luna offered. Ignis looked like he was about to protest. "I need to go to the ladies' room, anyway." His jaw snapped shut. He hastily wrote in elegant script all the supplies they needed and handed it to her.

Noctis watched as Luna removed her coat and went to the trunk to retrieve a hoodie from her backpack. If anyone should've gone to follow Prompto, it should've been him. He was the least injured, outwardly, anyway. He had a sneaking suspicion Luna had left them for other reasons. Excusing himself, he left the car and ignored Ignis shaking his head in exasperation.

* * *

True to her word Luna had went to the ladies' room, according to Prompto. But she'd been there for awfully long while. Noctis paced in front of the restroom door, occasionally receiving a strange look as civilians passed him. Ten minutes later he had enough. He saw a young girl exit the ladies' room and stopped her. "Excuse me, miss. Did you see a pretty blonde woman with dirty clothes in there?"

"I didn't see anybody, mister", she said, but paused and looked thoughtful. "But I heard there was someone in one of the stalls and she was using awful lot of toilet paper." Noctis' brows furrowed further, but he thanked the girl and entered the ladies' room.

"H-hey! Mister! You can't go there! Mom says it's for girls only!" she called after him, but did not follow and ran back to her parents.

He stood in front of the sinks and listened. Sure enough he could hear the whirling of toilet paper roll – far more than the amount of paper one would need to do their business – and the sound of ripping and wiping accompanied by uneven loud breathing.

"Luna?" The sounds immediately stopped. "I know you're in there. Tell me what's wrong."

"I'm fine", her voice wavered. "Just give me few minutes."

"I've given you more than few minutes. You've been there for half an hour."

"You shouldn't be here", she was running out of excuses and he was running out of patience.

"Open the door or I swear I'll bring it down."

Slowly a door creaked open. Luna was sitting on top of the toilet seat, blood soaked toilet paper at her feet and another lump held against her bleeding side. Soon even that had bled through and she hurried to pull more paper.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Luna remained silent as she worked to staunch the bloodflow.

"Luna", she stubbornly ignored him. "You're gonna waste a lot of paper with that." Sighing, he took off his coat and pulled his t-shirt over his head. Having nothing better at hand, he wrapped his shirt tightly against her midriff. "Hold that while I get you some ice", he said as he pulled on his coat and marched out of the ladies' room.

"Did you find her?" Prompto asked. He was just finishing purchasing the items from the list Luna had given him on her way to the restroom.

"Yeah", he didn't elaborate.

"Excuse me", he called for the shopkeep who was cleaning the counters.

"How can I help you, sir?" the man was probably in his early fifties. He had laugh lines around his eyes and seemed overall like a jolly person.

"Friend of mine needs ice. Dropped a cup of coffee on her lap", he lied smoothly.

"Comin' right up." Noctis thanked and took the icepack from the man. He snatched a package of bandages from Prompto and tossed him a wrinkled note. "Buy us some fresh coffee. That outta keep Iggy and Gladio busy for a while. Oh, and make sure to buy two takeaway Ebonies, will you", he dashed to the restrooms.

Luna was where he had left her. A woman was washing her hands as he entered the room and stared at him pointedly.

"Sorry, emergency", he explained as he entered Luna's stall and closed the door behind him.

"Okay, I got you some proper bandages. Lift your shirt and I'll wrap it for you." His command was met with an icy glare.

"You're making this more difficult." He stared at her in disbelief.

" _I'm_ making this difficult? It was _you_ who refused to mention that you were bleeding all over the place!" He was positively boiling. "On top of that you decide it's a good idea to keep it a secret. What the hell is wrong with you?"

Luna seethed as she snatched the bandages and ice from his hands. "I can manage on my own. I did not wish to worry you with minor battle wounds."

"Minor–", his voice rose, but he stopped himself as he remembered they most likely had nosy audience just outside the stall. He fumed as Luna turned away from him – as well as one could in such a cramped space – on her toilet seat and lifted her shirt. She struggled to place the bandage correctly around herself, but the last thing she would do was ask for his help. Noctis exhaled slowly, releasing the built tension and gently took the bandage from her trembling fingers.

"I don't doubt you can, but we're a team now. It doesn't hurt to have someone looking after you", he wrapped the bandage around her wound and wrapped the icepack on top with another. Once he was satisfied with his work, he stood up and backed as far away from her as he could to give her some privacy.

"Perhaps so", she said quietly as she pulled her bloodied shirt over the bandages.

"No-one will think less of you if you admit to being human and accepting that you too can suffer injury", his voice was barely louder than a whisper. He gathered the mound of soiled toilet paper and stuffed them in a tiny bin beside the toilet seat.

"It is not a matter of being afraid of my pride getting hurt", she corrected. "I am merely used to relying on no other than myself when there's never been another person to rely on." She fidgeted her hands restlessly as she struggled to open up. "I am still… Adjusting to the idea of having comrades."

Noctis had hard time understanding his betrothed. He had been surrounded by people all his life, people who loved him and shared his joy and pain. But Luna… She had been alone most of her life. He had no way of relating or grasping her perspective.

"You're not alone anymore. You watch my back, I watch yours", he kneeled in front of her and looked up in her apprehensive eyes. "You can rely on us, you know."

Luna grimaced and placed her hand on her stinging wound. Noctis shot up and immediately hovered over her like a worried mother hen, trying to offer some kind of solace. She dropped her hand and let him fuss. As she watched him check her wound she realized that she actually liked the attention. She liked that he was concerned for her.

"I think", she hesitantly began. Noctis paused to look at her expectantly. "In time I will learn to accept your generous help." She had made up her mind. "I will not take it for granted."

The raven haired prince flashed her a lopsided grin.

"Good. Because someone needs to appreciate those three."

* * *

 _A/N: I want a MT table lamp and have its eyes as two torches that you can remove from the head. *nod*_

 _to Yuto: Don't worry, I won't stop updating this story. I merely meant that I probably won't use the new information we've been given in my story, since I began writing this back when we didn't know Luna was an Oracle etc. I still have at least two chapters that I mean to finish and post. There might be even more if I get inspired! :)_


	11. Grinning ghosts and magic rings

Title: Grinning ghosts and magic rings  
Genre: Drama, friendship  
Summary: Noctis is obsessed over finding his father and his companions begin to question his rationality.

 **Chapter 11: Grinning ghosts and magic rings**

Luna trampled through fallen rubble carefully examining the dust coated floor of what she suspected was once a living room.

"What are we looking for again?"

"The ring of His Majesty", came a muffled reply across the room. Ignis was holding a handkerchief over his nose and mouth while carrying a lantern with his other hand. "A prized heirloom that the locals claim to have seen in these ruins in the form of a shining star."

"And why did not the good locals just take it to their own pockets? Or have they done just that and set us on a wild chocobo chase?" Luna moved a piece of crumbling wall with her foot which only resulted in a new cloud of dust to puff all around her. She sneezed loudly a couple of times followed by a polite "bless you" from Ignis and wiped her hands on her faded trousers.

"They say this place is haunted by those who were buried during the collapse. They dared not to take the ring in fear of being cursed. Highly superstitious lot", he set the lantern down and checked his pocket watch before going back to work.

"How convenient", she muttered dryly. They had been digging around the collapsed building for hours without seeing anything remotely resembling a ring or a 'shining star'. Just tons of rubble and debris caked in dust.

Noctis was negotiating with the little town's mayor about getting permission to buy petrol in exchange for finding the ring and removing the 'ghosts' from the destroyed apartment building. Apparently the locals kept their fuel under a tight lid, saving it for the last remaining vehicle in town; an old truck that had seen much better days. The previous war had hit them hard; trade was minimal and supplies were in shortage. Most of the townspeople were children, women or elderly people. The few men in their prime were severely injured and incapable of providing for their families.

The quintet had felt bad for taking advantage of the townsfolk's fear of ghosts, so Prompto and Gladiolus had stayed behind to help families and further help Noctis soften the mayor to their cause. That left Lunafreya and Ignis rolling in dust and cursing at their rotten luck. But sacrifices had to be made to avoid the imperial hounds and so the five had found themselves in the middle of nowhere with their petrol gauge's arrow pointing at empty.

 _Better this than at the mercy of the imperials_ , Luna reminded herself.

The floor cracked forebodingly as Ignis ventured further.

"Sounds like it is about to give in", Luna remarked and walked closer to where she saw Ignis' lantern flickering.

"Perhaps I ought to return to more solid ground", Ignis agreed and turned around. He managed to take one step before the telltale sound of crumbling warned them of the collapsing floor. Ignis made a run for it, but the floor gave in. He disappeared into the gap with a surprised yell. Luna carefully approached the edge of the hole and picked up Ignis' previously discarded lantern from a pile of rubble.

"Ignis? Did you hurt yourself?" she called, trying to keep calm and not give into panic.

A muffled grunt came from the lower floor followed by a breathy "I'm fine."

"I jinxed it, did I not", she attempted to joke, still shaken from the scare. She could hear him scramble to his feet and cough as he attempted to catch his breath.

"That you did."

Luna lowered the lantern down the hole as far as her arm stretched, but the light did not reach any solid surface. The room below remained engulfed in darkness.

"Can you see anything?"

"Visibility is poor, but I see you have my lantern."

Luna withdrew and retreated to where their backpacks were to retrieve a rope. She tied it to the lantern and carefully lay down by the hole. She wasn't too eager to join Ignis down below just to keep him company. Slowly she lowered the lantern to the ground.

"You might as well check the place while you're there. Do you want me to go fetch Gladiolus to pull you out?"

Finally she saw Ignis' form illuminated by the lantern. His glasses were absent from his sand and dust covered face. He spat muck that had invaded his mouth during the fall and attempted to wipe his face with equally dirty gloved hands. He looked absolutely miserable as he shook his head, sand spraying all around him from his dirtied hair.

"Give me a moment to look around and clean myself up. I would rather not be the bottom of a joke for the upcoming week", he coughed as he inhaled more dust.

Something caught Luna's attention from the corner of her eye.

"I think I see something glimmering down there. How well can you see?"

"Not very well, I might need directions."

Luna peered into the darkness and called down to him. "About eight steps to your left." She watched him stumble across the debris. Something else caught her eye on Ignis' path; a flash of light reflecting from the lantern.

"Ignis, wait–!"

 _Crunch_

Too late.

"What–?" Ignis looked down in confusion, but saw nothing beside blurry shapes.

"You just stepped on your glasses."

"Ah."

Well, this was going well. They now had a half-blind driver. They would need to persuade Gladiolus to take the wheel. There was no way they could let Prompto take over after the last time.

"Two more steps forward, one to the right", she called half-heartedly, feeling utterly guilty for the whole mess.

Ignis kneeled and reached for the small shiny object. "I believe I see it now." Just when he was about to touch it he halted and leaned forward to peer at the object closer.

Luna nearly jumped out of her skin when the normally coolheaded royal advisor let out a horrified yell and stumbled backward.

"Ignis?! What is it?" she demanded, her hand reflexively resting on the hilt of her rapier.

Ignis took a few quick breathes before calming himself. "I believe I found our ghost", he replied slightly shaken.

Luna frowned, not understanding what he was trying to say. "Elaborate, please."

Turns out it wasn't King Regis' lost ring that had caught Lunafreya's attention, but a tooth filling of a grinning skeleton. They had found a dust covered corpse that hadn't crumbled along with the other victims of the collapse. The torn faded clothes shed little light to who this person once was, but it was safe to assume he was of the more privileged townspeople who could afford the services of a dentist.

Luna left to find Gladiolus after Ignis had assured her that he was in no immediate danger. It seemed he had forgotten about his appearance and was more concerned about getting out than looking presentable.

With Gladiolus' added strength the two managed to pull Ignis along with his lantern back to solid ground. True to Ignis' prediction once it was clear he was unharmed Gladiolus burst out laughing at the sorry sight of the normally well-groomed man.

"I do not think it is exactly safe to pursue the ring much longer. This building, or what remains of it, is ready to kill any and all who come unprepared. Best we return better equipped and all at once for more thorough search", Luna thought out loud.

"You just don't want the rest of us to be left out from the fun", Gladiolus corrected.

"True as well." She had tried to be sneaky about it, but she felt sorry for Ignis' humiliation and wanted all of them to roll in dust and dirt to share in his misery and be on equal grounds.

"That won't be necessary", Ignis tried to hold on to his wounded pride. Luna shook her head in disbelief.

"What makes you so sure this", she motioned at nothing in particular "lost heirloom is within such a backwater town?"

Gladiolus sighed and dusted his large hands on his leather trousers. "Just another wild rumour Noct's unwilling to look over. The boy's got his heart in the right place, but he outta listen to reason more often."

Ignis shot a sour look to the bigger man. "I've _tried_. It is as futile as getting him to eat his greens."

Luna tapped her chin in thought. "Mayhap a new voice would go through. You four are close, so close he believes you all share the same perspective. He might listen to a more, hm, detached opinion. I shall talk to him and make our collective thoughts known on the matter." She picked her backpack and turned to head towards the exit.

"Like it or not, you're just as close to him as the rest of us. Just in a different way", Gladiolus called after her.

She didn't bother stopping to face him. "That remains to be seen."

* * *

"Noct."

Said raven haired prince snapped out of his musings. He'd been leaning against what she believed to be the remains of a once beautiful town hall, lost in thought. He immediately brightened and jogged to meet her halfway, eager to hear the news.

"Did you find anything?"

"No", was her curt reply. "The only 'shining star' we found was a corpse's tooth filling. Frankly I don't believe we will find anything but an early ticket to the opening of Etro's Gate –lightshow."

Noctis' brow furrowed to a grim frown. "What do you mean?"

"That building is nothing short of a death trap and nearly took Ignis' life."

"What? Is he alright? Is he hurt?" the frown melted into worry as he grabbed her by the upper arms. Luna was aware of his short temper when it came to his companions' safety, but it was a strange feeling to be at the other end of it. His fingers were digging into her skin. She pried his arms off her, glaring at him as she rubbed her bruised arms.

"A little winded and a suffering from a wounded pride, but I assure he's not worse for wear." He visibly relaxed and exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.

"However this will not be the last time one of us gets knocked over if you don't use your head in these matters", she crossed her arms and glared at the prince. She would have to be blunt, rude even, to get the message across in one go. "What evidence is there that your father's ring is within this town? Highly unlikely place, especially considering neither your father nor any of his closest associates have been sighted here."

Noctis sighed and stuffed his hands into his coat's pockets. He wouldn't meet her icy gaze. "While we were sneaking past the imperial base, I heard two high ranked officers talk about a valuable Lucian treasure being found in some backwater settlement, east of the base. They had sent troops to retrieve it, but supposedly were met with resistance. Apparently the rebels' leader had claimed a fancy ring as his own, but he and his group of misfits had met their end when the MTs bombed their hideout. Those buckets of bolt were never good at delicate operations", he chuckled humourlessly. Luna's glare softened, but she remained unconvinced.

The prince briefly returned her even stare before nodding towards the town hall. "The mayor? He hasn't been in his position more than a week. Last one got shot when they failed to help dig up the ring from the rubble."

"What about the MTs, why are they not here? You'd think this place would be crawling with imperials if the ring was so important."

"Probably stationed further ahead on the road waiting to ambush us. They tend to catch wind of our presence rather quickly", he watched as few civilians stopped to stare at him before rushing off, whispering frantically. His face was on every wanted poster across the country. It was only a matter of time before they had to be on the run again. But if his suspicion was correct, they were safe as long as they stayed within the rundown town. "The ring is useless on its own, only I and my father can use it. They probably rather have me find it first and then capture me."

Luna's brows shot up. "So you're willingly walking into a trap?" Her hands rested on her hips as she seized the prince. Noctis turned to her, answering the challenge in her eyes in kind.

"This ring is the only link I have to finding my father. It is more than a mere token or a cheap weapons arsenal upgrade."

And _she_ was the one who was supposed to talk _him_ over.

"Fine", she sighed. "But at least come and bring Prompto with you. We need proper equipment and all the hands we can use to find that elusive trinket."

Noctis' lips curved into a slight smile. "I've already sent Prompto to fetch some gear that the mayor allowed us to borrow. I managed to get the mayor part with two tanks of petrol, too. Already took them to Regalia." At least she wasn't the only one he had managed to win over.

"So what were you doing here all alone, staring at nothing?" she tentatively asked.

"Thinking how to tackle the matter of tin cans. Most likely all the roads are being watched and we can't exactly go cruising through the woods."

"We'll think of something", she offered a small smile. "I'm sure Ignis would like to participate in planning now that he's not fit to drive. Perhaps not even to fight."

He frowned. "I thought you said he was unharmed?"

"He is, but he, uh", she looked anywhere but his face and felt herself fidget uncharacteristically. "I might've accidently directed him step on his glasses."

To her surprise he merely shrugged like it was no big deal. "Ehh. I've asked what his plan is if he loses his spectacles; he's got a spare."

"That man always has a plan", she mused as they began to walk towards the collapsed apartment building. Prompto was already there securing a helmet over his spiky blonde hair with several bags of climbing and digging equipment lying at his feet.

"Yup."

It would seem Ignis wasn't the only thoughtful one of the group. Sometimes the rash prince surprised her. She prayed he would one day sit in his rightful place on the throne. The war torn land would be a much a better place under his rule.

And Tenebrae would stand by him till the end.

* * *

 _A/N: So turns out there will be an actual magic ring in the game that is passed to Noctis from Regis. I had no idea when I started this chapter back in 2015. Talk about a funny coincidence! Only it would appear that Regis gives it to Luna who then gives it to Noctis (if I'm reading the signs right). Good thing this story is completely AU and I don't have to worry about sticking with canon!_

 _This chapter was a bit strange, which is probably why I didn't bother finishing it last year and just left it lying around as a draft. But I wanted my story to show how much Noctis wants to reunite with his father and how his companions are having moments of doubt about trusting their liege._

 _This chapter could be seen taking place between Sleep and Mutual benefits or after Fencing. Sleep mentioned the bombed road which could be part of the bombing taking place in the town while Mutual benefits has the MT ambush. But at the same time Luna more or less says she's not part of the group, so that could point towards post Fencing timeline when she's still warming up to the men and vice versa._


	12. part 1 - Engagement

Title: Engagement  
Genre: Angst, hurt/comfort, romance  
Summary: Lunafreya finally returns to Tenebrae and she remembers a certain raven haired woman.

 **Chapter 12, part 1: Engagement**

Lunafreya wiped sweat from her forehead. She had just climbed a tall cliff, eager to see the wilderness within Tenebrae's borders. It was just as she remembered; tall ancient trees surrounded by tropical vegetation and untamed grass. The air was heavy from the heat, but it had a hint of freshness from a recent downpour.

"Looks just as grand as you described when we were kids", Noctis caught up with her. His shirt had visible sweat patches. "You failed to mention the heat, though."

"Thought you had learnt at least that much about climates from your tutors."

It felt good to be home again after many months of being on the run – or on political visits gone wrong. To think merely two years had passed since she had been confined in her own home as Niflheim's soldiers patrolled the streets under the proud red, white and gold imperial standard. Her eyes hardened as she relived her suffering and solitude in her mind's eye.

There had been a change, however. Something, or rather, someone unexpected.

* * *

It was only a year ago when she received a sympathetic ear for the first time since her parents died; a Niflheimian woman who had taken interest in her and her abilities concerning Etro's Gate. At first Luna mistook her for an Insomnian noblewoman as the woman wore the traditional Lucian colours. The black haired woman introduced herself as Gentiana and attempted to extend her hand in friendship. Luna saw no reason to trust her and politely asked to be left alone.

But Gentiana knew even back then how to get what she wanted. She offered Luna a deal she couldn't turn down; Gentiana would take the role of her personal guard – clearly to keep a close eye on her for Niflheimian authorities – in exchange she would use her influence and request the streets to be emptied from imperial soldiers and give Tenebraean citizens a false sense of autonomy. Luna considered the offer carefully, but came to the conclusion false hope was better than none, especially to her suffering people. As long as Tenebrae was under martial law the country would not prosper. She was given the part of a figurehead associated with the imperial province, but she had no real power over the affairs of her country. That privilege belonged to Chancellor Ardyn Izunia.

Once the last soldier and magitek troop wearing Niflheim's colours was transported away from Tenebraean soil, Gentiana became Lunafreya's permanent shadow. The new self-appointed bodyguard rarely left her side and even if she wasn't visible, Luna knew that she was still being watched. Most of her remaining staff was forced to leave, but at Luna's plea Gentiana offered the servants a new place to work within a nearby Niflheimian base which was located just beyond the border.

Luna tried to patch the void left by her servants by filling the empty house with as much colour and life as she could with flower arrangements and paintings. Sometimes Gentiana would find her alone in the living room playing a somber tune with a violin.

"What song is that?" she asked after hearing the same tune for the third time play in the middle of the night.

"A song from Lucis", the blonde admitted. "It tells the story of Etro and how her children yearn to wake her."

What she didn't tell her jailer was the reason why she played the song when the night was at its darkest. It reminded her of her time in the famed sleepless city of Insomnia and of her time with Noctis when he had shown the royal palace to her. She had stayed awake past midnight for the first time in her life during her stay there. She had followed Noctis to the roof of the palace and they had watched together as a middle-aged woman in heavy black robes had climbed to the top of the cathedral and sang in a low powerful voice. Noctis had explained that it was an age old tradition for the high priest of Etro's Children to perform _Somnus_ during the winter solstice.

"And where have you learnt such a song?"

"I heard it when I was visiting Insomnia with my parents", and that was all she would reveal on the subject.

When it became clear that Luna was unwilling to talk about the mysterious light, Gentiana changed her approach to a friendlier one. She would fulfill Luna's every request to her best ability, but Luna saw through it and remained unmoved by the small acts of kindness. She believed herself impenetrable and ready for any scheme the Niflheimians would throw at her. She was wrong.

One night Luna woke from a night terror and alerted her supposed attendant with a loud gasp. She trembled like a leaf and hugged herself as she fought back the tears and the memory of filthy hands trailing up her uncovered adolescent legs. She felt ill and rushed to the bathroom. Gentiana found her sitting in her nightgown under a cold shower, the near freezing water hiding her fresh tears. It took Gentiana a good while to return the dazed noblewoman back to the present.

Luna barely registered as Gentiana carefully undressed her from her soaked nightgown and underwear and changed the water's temperature to suitably warm. She helped her scrub the imaginary filth from her chilled skin, not minding that she was ruining her own clothes in the process. After the sweet scented soap – leftovers from before Niflheim had occupied Tenebrae and halted the more luxurious industries – was washed off, Gentiana gently encased Luna with a soft towel and held her as a lover would embrace her sweetheart.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, both knowing the moment would be lost if either would step away. Luna hadn't realized how badly she had yearned for something as simple as a hug all these years. The only touch she had felt for the past thirteen years was the groping hands of lust filled soldiers. Hesitantly she turned in Gentiana's arms and allowed her heavy head to rest on the older woman's elegant shoulder as she willed the visions of being violently pushed against a wall to fade away.

Things were never quite the same after that night. Luna would often catch Gentiana looking at her with an unreadable expression. At first it unnerved her, but as time passed and nothing happened, she allowed herself to relax and lower her guard enough to not constantly worry about who was arguably her only friend in this invisible prison. As much as an enemy can be a friend, that is.

Weeks later Gentiana approached her with a rolled parchment in her hand. The imperial sigil was impossible to miss with its pompous behemoth design. The dark clad woman cleared her throat and rolled the parchment open.

"His Imperial Majesty Emperor Iedolas Aldercapt salutes the Lady Lunafreya Nox Fleuret of Tenebrae and bids her to fulfill her sworn duty as a conquered vassal. She is to marry the heir to the Lucian throne, Crown Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum and strengthen the goodwill between Niflheim and Lucis."

Luna clenched her jaw and balled her hands into fists as Gentiana continued to read aloud. "Should she refuse she will be denounced from her position and Tenebrae's autonomy shall be withdrawn", Luna scoffed. What she wouldn't do to escape and leave this political battlefield. Gentiana ignored her.

"Taxes will be doubled and the people will be made to suffer in the name of Fleuret." The parchment was rolled and handed to Luna. Furious, she grabbed it and tossed it into the hearth. The dance of flames reflected in her hard eyes as she watched the insolence of the damned Emperor burn.

"How dare that man– that monster–"

"I would consider the next words carefully if I were you, my Lady", Gentiana interrupted Luna's rant in a calm authoritative voice. "As much as you hate playing the part of an unwilling puppet, you must do as you're told for the sake of your people." Luna turned away from the older woman and crossed her arms as she stared at a painting of Tenebraean scenery above the fireplace. In her rage filled haze she could have sworn the flames were reaching out for the painted landscape. If she did not do this her land would burn once more.

"Fine. I will do it."

Gentiana's lips curved ever so slightly as Luna had turned back to face her.

"This will be your only chance to escape and take the reins of your own life back. Do not waste it."

Luna's eyes widened in awe as Gentiana's meaning dawned to her.

 _Freedom. Away from the eyes of the Empire._

The dark haired woman left Luna to ponder over her words and to write an official response to the Emperor in her stead.

Luna never bothered to read the parchment which was undoubtedly full of honey worded fawning. She only added her signature and left the rest in Gentiana's hands.

* * *

"Eos to Luna."

She snapped from her memories and faced her royal companion.

"Not like you to zone out like that."

"My apologies. It has been awhile since I gazed upon home soil."

"Brings back a lot of memories, huh."

Luna hm'ed in response and walked to a nearby tree. She bounced to reach the lowest branch and hoisted herself up.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like? I'm climbing. And you, Your Highness, will not reach very High if you do not step to it!"

Noctis groaned, but took off his sweaty shirt and wrapped it around his waist.

"I'm coming!"

Moments later the pair were sitting on a sturdy branch and gazing over the thick rainforest. Luna reached for a melon sized yellow fruit that hung from a nearby branch. She peeled and split it in two and offered the other half to Noctis.

"Kukuru orange, local delicacy used in many baked goods, but I personally prefer them raw and ripe." Noctis took a tentative bite of his fruit. It tasted different from anything he had ever had back at home, but boy, eating that thing was a mess. Luna fared a little better, probably result from years of practice, but even she didn't survive without a juice stain or two.

"Think Ignis could fix us something with these fruits?" Noctis pondered and wiped his sticky hands on his trousers.

"Knowing him he's probably already using Prompto as a taste tester."

They chuckled. Unhindered by the tall trees at this height the two could enjoy a light breeze as it ruffled their damp locks.

"Luna?" she tilted her head in question. "I never had the chance to give this to you", he took a plain silver ring from his pocket. "I want you to wear it."

She studied the ring in his hand. On closer inspection it had a single skull engraved on its smooth surface. It was a traditional Lucian engagement ring by the look of it. She offered her left hand and allowed him to place the ring on her ring finger. She held up her hand and looked at the ring in wonder.

He couldn't have chosen a less romantic moment. They were both covered in fruit juice and their clothes clung to them like a second skin in the tropical heat. But maybe that was the beauty of it. Luna was hardly a romantic and she was positive Noctis was not the flower giving type. His spontaneous proposal, no matter how roundabout it appeared, was genuine. _Like Gentiana's embrace._

They had officially been engaged for almost a year, but they hadn't had the chance to meet face to face prior to the wedding that never took place. She hadn't even thought about taking the traditional Tenebraean white gold engagement ring she had commissioned for her betrothed along with her as she set out with the four men from Accordo. The actual wedding rings they were to exchange at the ceremony were held by Altissia's clergy.

"I don't have your ring with me", she admitted.

"That's okay. I'll just let the ladies know I'm already spoken for." Luna rolled her eyes.

"I think you're confusing yourself with Prompto. You're not exactly a ladies' man."

"Neither is he."

"More than you'll ever be."

"Well, I'm a one woman type of guy, anyway."

There were no heartfelt confessions of love or kissing under the moonlight, and she preferred it that way. If she was to really marry this complex man she was slowly beginning to have romantic feelings for, she would firstly do so as his partner, companion and friend and secondly as his lover.

"Now put your shirt back on, it's distracting."

"You never complained about Gladio's open jacket", he muttered as he pulled his damp shirt on.

"Only because I don't believe he's capable of being decent."

The two exchanged silly smiles, both silently thrilled by the engagement they had just agreed to in private. No formal parchments with royal seals or political battlefields requiring a union in the name of peace. Just Luna and Noct, two young adults who wished to share a future together.

"Uh, how do you plan on getting down?"

"Climbing." She could see he was already preparing to warp strike back down. "You're going to cheat, aren't you?"

"Nah. I got here with you, might as well get down the same way", she suspected he was lying, but let it slide. "But if you offer to wash my clothes I promise I won't prattle to Gladio your views on his attractiveness."

Two could play that game. "Very well", she crossed her fingers behind her back. She would toss both him _and_ his clothes into a river.

* * *

 _A/N: Did you guys get the pun of the chapter title? :'D (Engagement between Noctis &Luna, but at the same time hostile engagement between Luna&Gentiana! Okay, okay, I suck at puns, I'll stop!)_

 _This chapter will be split into multiple parts as it follows a certain timeline, unlike the other chapters that can be seen more or less as independent stories._

 _Hope you liked my version of Gentiana. :) You'll see more of her in the next chapter!_

 _(Ps. Writing that formal letter from the Emperor was a pain in the ass. It still sounds weird, but I'm afraid my formal English doesn't extend that far. XD)_

 _Pps. Thank you for your kind reviews, Yuto &Lady Mizukage! They help me motivate myself to write!  
_


	13. part 2 - Home sweet home

Title: Home sweet home  
Genre: Drama  
Summary: Noctis needs all the support he can get to challenge the Empire. Luna believes Gentiana is the key to rally Tenebraeans to their cause.

 **Chapter 12, part 2: Home sweet home**

The streets of Tenebrae's capital were full of hustle and bustle as its citizens went on with their business. It was as if Lunafreya had stepped into a time machine and went back in time before the Empire's invasion. The people seemed to be faring better than the last time she had been home. In contrast she saw the occasional withered beggar huddled under the merciful shade of white stone buildings. Not all of her people had managed to pick up their trades and rebuild their lives after the imperials had lifted the martial law. Still, progress had been made in her absence. She ought to be happy, but she was not.

Imperial flags flapped in the wind, reminding the people just who it was that they now served under. She was surprised to notice a lone teal and white flag with silver embroidery in the shape of a feathered woman with a harp. The people weren't forced to forget their roots and were allowed to take pride in their country's symbol. It would seem the Empire knew how to keep the people subdued. They would not rise to resist the Empire's might when they were content with their lot and would turn a blind eye to the suffering of neighbouring imperial provinces. Luna suspected the Tenebraeans would not be willing to risk what little they had gained since the invasion for the promise of full freedom from imperials. Much work needed to be done to rally her people to stand alongside the Crown Prince of Lucis. She needed Gentiana's support.

"So, your, ah, friend has taken your place in your absence?" Prompto asked as the quintet took in the sights and sounds of the capital.

"She was figuratively my second-in-command", her eyes glazed slightly as she thought of her unlikely ally. "But really she was there just to keep me under control and keep an eye on me. Make sure I did not fan any patriotic flames or contact underground rebels." Prompto glanced at his companions trying to assess if he was missing something left unspoken.

"Doesn't sound like a friend to me", he finally admitted. "More like a jailer."

"She was. But she was the kind of jailer who would give an envelope containing the date of execution as well as the key to freedom", she paused for a moment before coming to a conclusion. "I trust her."

"And we shall trust your judgment, Lady Lunafreya", Ignis assured her.

They walked in silence for a moment longer among the crowds. Prompto took out his camera and snapped several photos of monuments, local scenery and his unsuspecting companions. They received occasional strange glances from the citizens.

Prompto nudged Noctis' side and whispered to him: "Is it just me or we're being stared at?"

"Uh-huh", the prince had noticed it as well. "Must be our clothes. We don't exactly fit in with these getups." Sure enough the four men were sticking out like a sore thumb in their traditional Lucian black in the sea of light colours and airy clothing.

"Best we split up. We're drawing too much attention", Gladiolus pulled out a map of the city he had picked from a tourist stand. The quintet hurried to a nearby outdoor café and ordered regular coffee and Ebony while gathering around the map. "Noct and Prompto will take the straightest path to the Fleuret residence while Luna and Iggy take this longer path. I trust you won't get lost in your own city, Luna", the woman in question hm'ed affirmative as she sipped her Ebony. "Meanwhile I'll go check the local shops and get us four less attracting clothing."

"We should meet up before the residence to change", Ignis interrupted. "We need to take into account that we might not receive a warm welcome. If we are to make a hasty retreat, it's best we are not wearing clothes that instantly pinpoint our location amongst the masses."

"Good point", Gladio studied the map for a moment before pointing at a landmark between their current location and the Fleuret residence. "Alright, we meet up at the railway station. Lots of foreigners and tourists there, so we'll be less obvious. We'll go to the public restrooms to change. Just don't make it too obvious that we're in the same group, okay?"

"Alright! Gonna enjoy the sights and record lot of stuff while going on an undercover adventure! Guys back home are gonna love it!" Prompto slammed his coffee mug on the table in excitement.

"I believe our cover will be blown before we reach the main street", Ignis said calmly as he wiped the coffee stains from the table surface. The eager blonde paid no mind as he bumped fists with Noctis. While the prince wasn't as eager to merge with the masses, he had to admit all this was a little exciting and he _did_ want to tell his father everything he had experienced once they would be reunited.

Luna and Ignis stood up and left the main group to head to the opposite direction of the station. They took several aimless turns before surmising it safe enough to turn towards their real destination. Ignis made sure to eye the crowd around them in case he would spot a face that he had seen previously. He didn't doubt there were Niflheimian soldiers or agents working undercover, ready to trail suspicious individuals such as him if spotted.

Lunafreya had braided her hair in a simple Accordian style in favour of her usual easily recognizable hairstyle. Excluding his obvious foreign clothing, Ignis blended well enough with the crowd. While he didn't have the advantage of lighter hair colour like Prompto, his face was still anonymous and his features did not scream 'Lucian' unlike the other three men's. So far most Tenebraeans he had seen had hair colours varying from different shades of blonde to light brown. It was Gladio and Noct who would have harder time keeping a low profile. Then again, they could still pass for Niflheimians if they put their acting skills to a good use.

"I take it you often buy clothes for each other", Luna interrupted his musings. He adjusted his glasses and politely turned to face her.

"Pardon?"

"He didn't ask your sizes. So I hope he knows or I might get to see some interesting results when you exit the restroom."

"Ah", that _could_ pose a problem. How careless of him not to notice such an obvious issue. "No, we don't buy clothes for each other. But I trust he has enough of an eye for detail to roughly guess our measurements."

The two stepped inside the railway station building and casually looked at the bulletin boards before subtly heading towards the restroom. They could see Gladio was already there, hands resting on his belt as he read a digital advertisement. He was wearing a white button up shirt and long beige slacks fit for the climate. He had left his shirt unbuttoned. _That man enjoys showing off his physique far too much_ , Luna thought.

She made a show to greet him like an old friend she hadn't seen in years. They hugged and chatted excitedly. Gladio turned to Ignis and told him that the last stall was currently occupied by Noctis. Ignis was to take Noct's place immediately. The clothes were next to the toilet seat. Prompto was to take his place afterwards. They had to make sure no civilians would butt in-between or they might have to retrieve their clothes from the Lost Items.

Ignis left to relieve Noctis from his bag guard duty. Luna and Gladio dropped their awkward act and settled to standing around and watching advertisements and crowds.

Luna was looking forward to seeing Gentiana again. She wondered how the dark clad woman had managed while she had been shipped off like a crate to Insomnia. Sitting in the same train carriage as the snobs from the Empire must be one of her least fond memories, period. She had to work really hard to stretch a fake smile and keep herself from lunging towards the enemy who was only few mere meters away from her. She had had to be patient. Her time for vengeance would come, in time.

"You couldn't have chosen anything whiter even if you tried", Noctis grumbled as he approached the duo. "Feel like I'm heading to my wedding."

"Quit your yapping. It's light and airy _and_ I had the good will to choose shorts and a T like your normal clothes. Can't go wrong with that."

"At least you have some colour besides white."

Luna cleared her throat and the two men turned to her in near synchronization. "Gentlemen, we are supposed to be keeping low profile, if you recall."

"Right", Noctis backed away from Gladiolus strolled to a nearby kiosk.

Ignis emerged from the restrooms and took his place at Luna's side. His shirt seemed to be several sizes too small while his trousers were baggy enough to fall to his ankles if it weren't for the support of his belt. He had turned the ends of his trousers to make sure he wouldn't trip over them. Even in such a ridiculous getup he managed to look snazzy.

"Shall we?"

"Let's."

* * *

The Fleuret residence was just as she remembered it; tall arched windows with white see-through curtains, climber plants hugging the wooden walls, a small pond with colourful fish and an impressive flower garden Luna herself had looked after. Her mother had planted the first flowers and taught Luna to appreciate the wonder of watching the seeds of your own labours grow. She had sought comfort in arranging flowers and filling as many vases as she could get her hands on during her time as an imperial marionette. She secretly hoped that Gentiana had taken up her hobby as her own.

"Here we are."

"Looks pretty sweet! All naturey", Prompto could see himself wanting to live in a house like this. It was very easy on the eyes and had a relaxing atmosphere compared to the uptightness and gloom and _suits_ of the royal Insomnian palace.

"The trees offer a welcome shade from the scorching heat, at least", Ignis commented.

 _Here we go._

Luna took a breath and used the door knocker. A moment later the door was opened by a young servant girl who curtseyed to them politely.

"Good afternoon, madam, sirs. I'm afraid the Lady Gentiana does not take in guests who have not scheduled a meeting." Luna didn't recognize the servant. The girl had been most likely hired after she had left for Insomnia. She didn't appear to recognize Luna from old portraits either, as she wasn't wearing her usual hairstyle and white dress.

"Tell the Lady Gentiana that Lunafreya Nox Fleuret has returned home." The servant girl's eyes widened as she recognized the name and invited them in before hurrying to her mistress.

The quintet was led to a living room to wait by another servant. Luna was happy to note that there was a single vase filled with blue sylleblossoms by the window. While it wasn't much of a flower arrangement, she at least now knew that Gentiana still thought of her and looked after her property as she had looked after her for a year in her own perplexing way. Luna just hadn't realized it back then.

They turned to face the doorway in silent anticipation as the sound of clicking heels came closer. Luna rose from her seat, her heart hammering in her chest as the older woman gracefully entered the living room.

"Lunafreya", Gentiana's deep soothing voice filled the silent room. "It has been a long time." Her avocado green eyes found Luna's cerulean. The two women stood still as they regarded each other.

"Too long", Luna agreed, taking a tentative step closer.

Noctis' brows furrowed, Prompto held his breath, Gladiolus sat at the edge of his seat and Ignis checked the room for possible exits.

Gentiana closed the distance and enveloped Lunafreya in a warm embrace. Luna's eyes closed on their own volition as she breathed in the familiar scent she had come to associate as Gentiana. The men exchanged looks, but eased when it became apparent that the Niflheimian woman had no ill intentions. She took a step back and gently held Luna at arm's length.

"They reported you dead at the bombing of Insomnia." Noctis tensed at her words.

"Yes", Luna's smile wavered.

"But here you are, hale as ever and with a ring on your finger."

"A lot has happened", the blonde murmured.

"Indeed. And who are your companions, pray tell?" she turned to address the four men, their identity now hidden by local clothing. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she recognized Noctis from the many wanted posters she had seen across the country. Luna placed her hand on Noctis' shoulder, her voice warm as she introduced him.

"This is my fiancé, Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum", Noctis placed his hand on top of hers to show his support and offered a curt nod to Gentiana who in turn gave a half-bow. "And these are his most loyal subjects and friends; Prompto Argentum", Prompto gave a little wave. "Gladiolus Amicitia, Noctis' bodyguard and Ignis Stupeo Scientia, his royal advisor", the men stood up and shook her offered hand.

"You are far away from home", Gentiana said pleasantly. "You must be starving and tired from your long journey. I've readied you rooms for the night. You needn't worry about imperials as long as you are within my care", Prompto nearly jolted up in his seat at the mention of food. Gentiana cast an amused glance at the young blonde. She called a servant and ordered dinner to be served.

"Come, let us eat."

* * *

The meal was as pleasant as their host yet Noctis couldn't shake the feeling that something was awfully _wrong_. The way Gentiana kept watching her guests reminded him of the cunning calculating look of a predator. He looked at his companions, but none of them seemed unnerved by the dark clad woman. Maybe he was being paranoid. It wasn't everyday he interacted with friendly Niflheimians, after all.

"Ahh, I'm stuffed! Haven't had a good meal like this in forever!" Prompto praised as he patted his full belly in content. Noctis grunted in agreement. When was the last time he had slept? Felt like he had been up for days. His head was so heavy all of a sudden, his eyelids drooped. He fought the unexpected wave of exhaustion and concentrated on the ongoing small talk.

"Do you keep your companions up at night with your violin playing?" Gentiana asked with a humorous glint in her eye and subtle curve of lips. The tips of Luna's ears reddened in embarrassment.

"No, I did not take it with me."

"Would be a different kind of wake-up from the usual phone alarm", Gladio jested. "Not sure if it'd be any more likable, though."

"I for one wouldn't mind a fiddle in the morning! A spirited dance could get the blood pumping nice and quick", Prompto exclaimed.

"A sure way to alarm _everyone_ within five hundred meters, no doubt", Ignis retorted dryly as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.

Gentiana seemed to notice the prince's lack of focus. "If you wish to retire for the night, the guests' quarters are upstairs."

Gladiolus stretched. "Now that you mention it, I'm ready to pass out."

Lunafreya frowned as she checked the clock on the dining room's wall. It wasn't even six o'clock and her companions were acting as if it was ten in the evening. She was certain she had slept less than the men and couldn't fathom where this sudden drowsiness came from. She startled at the sound of Prompto's head falling limply against the hard dining table. Ignis was slouched over in his seat, mouth hanging open as he snored lightly. Noctis stood up as panic took hold of him.

 _Ketamine._

That witch had drugged them!

"What the hell did you do to us?!" his voice was sluggish and his tongue tripped over words as his mind failed to keep up. Gladiolus turned and blinked blearily at the raving prince, sensing his alarm but not comprehending what was being said. Soon the drug took hold and the two men passed out as well.

Lunafreya slowly turned to face Gentiana, her blood running cold. The dark clad woman merely rang a bell which summoned servants to clear the table. A man, most likely in his forties, stood by Gentiana and waited patiently. "Inform the Chancellor that I've found his runaway Prince." The man bowed and left. Gentiana returned her focus on the petrified blonde.

"It is time we continued our discussions regarding Etro's Gate, my Lady."

Luna looked helplessly at the unconscious bodies of her comrades.

 _What have I done._

* * *

 _A/N: Things got serious. Cliffhanger! See you next year!_

… _I kid. ^^ On a serious note, the next part might take a little longer to get done as it'll be longer than previous chapters. It'll also concentrate more on individual characters and how they react to their plight instead of the relationships between the characters; in other words more action and less fluff. So far if my plans hold, it would seem that this chapter will have 4 parts in total._

 _to Yuto: You're correct! There is attraction between the two women, but neither can quite make out what it is. Luna first sees her as an enemy, but as she leaves for Insomnia, she begins to see things with rose coloured glasses, so to speak. She thinks Gentiana is all good and trustworthy and kinda forgets that she was actually there to interrogate her, even if she did get a bit sidetracked because of her attraction to Luna and with the Emperor's demand for Luna to marry Noctis._


	14. part 3 - Escape

Title: Escape  
Genre: Drama, action  
 **Rating: T** – Aranea alone increases the rating. She's a perverted sadist weirdo.  
Summary: Gentiana has shown her true colours. Noctis, Ignis, Prompto and Gladiolus are taken captive. How will the five companions survive the next ordeal?

 **Chapter 12, part 3: Escape**

 _What have I done._

Lunafreya slowly reached for her rapier under the table. She had to do something. She had to save her unconscious friends.

"Why are you doing this?" her voice wavered as she held the stern woman's gaze.

"My allegiance has ever been to the Empire. The Emperor wants the boy", she nodded towards the raven haired prince whose face was twisted into a restless grimace. Even trapped in a dreamless sleep he fought to regain consciousness.

"What will you do with the others?" she dreaded the answer.

"They are the Emperor's triumph card for the boy's cooperation. After he gets what he wants out of the Prince, they will be publicly executed", Gentiana spoke casually as she would of the weather. This was not the woman Lunafreya had offered her trembling heart to a year ago.

"What will happen to me?" her voice was barely above a whisper. She felt so utterly betrayed. Gentiana stood up from the head of the table and walked behind Luna. She rested her slender hands on Luna's shoulders and leaned in as if to tell a secret.

"You will remain where you belong – by my side", the Niflheimian woman's breath was hot on Luna's skin. "And you will reveal the secrets concerning your power and the visions. You will help us unlock the secrets of Etro's Gate, so that none can challenge the Empire." Luna turned away, disgusted with what she was hearing.

"What has the Emperor done to earn your loyalty and devotion?" she nearly spat. "I thought you were a good person, a trustworthy person!" She didn't give the older woman time to answer as she unsheathed her rapier and lunged, but the woman was expecting the attack and easily sidestepped.

"You are a fool, if you think you can take down the Empire with your ragtag group of companions", Gentiana taunted as she removed a hidden sword hilt from within the folds of her clothing. She switched on its obsidian magitek blade. The blade seemed to suck in the very light around it. Luna was reminded of a predator's growl by its low hum. "I do not wish to harm you, but I will not stand idle if you try to get in my way."

Luna raised her rapier, trying to ignore the small voice in her head that wished to surrender and give in to Gentiana's demands. She glanced at the plain silver ring adorning her left hand. Her mind was made up. She could almost feel the disappointment radiate from her opponent. "Consider this your last warning."

Lunafreya charged at the older woman. Sparks flew as thin metal blade clashed with magitek blade. She had to somehow disarm the dark clad woman long enough to wake up Noctis. But how was she to do that? Ketamine lasted for at least a good twenty minutes. There was no way she could drag him back to consciousness from the forced slumber. She would have to keep up their deadly dance until the men woke up on their own.

The sound of running feet barging through the front door halted their blades. Gentiana lowered her sword and ordered the newly arrived Niflheimian soldiers to cuff the unconscious men.

Luna was severely outnumbered. She could only watch as her companions were hauled unceremoniously outside. The sergeant kept watch as the troopers carried out their orders. "What about the girl, milady?" Gentiana's cool gaze never left Luna's determined eyes. "I will handle her. We have unfinished business." The sergeant saluted and took his leave. Luna raised her rapier to ready for another attack when a sudden impudent female voice interrupted the two.

"Gentiana dear, I never knew you had such a weakness to pretty little blondes like her." Luna was cornered. She turned around enough to face both Niflheimian women at once. "I can see the appeal, but I thought you had a more refined taste. She has barely enough meat around her bones to be considered attractive", the armour clad woman drawled as she inspected the Tenebraean.

"You have your spoils, Highwind. You may leave now", Gentiana replied coolly.

"And here I thought you'd want to share! Why, the Chancellor will be showering me with praises. It's only fair that you would receive your proportion of the reward."

Luna eyed the two women who blocked her only exits. How was she to get to Noctis with a whole squad of imperials between them?

"I trust that you will put it all to a good use", Gentiana countered dryly. "Best you not keep the Chancellor waiting."

"Oh, you were always such a sour host, love. Have fun with your pet", the dragoon winked as she left, her hips swaying in an exaggerated manner. Gentiana merely rolled her eyes before raising her humming sword again.

"Now, where were we?"

* * *

Noctis was lying on his side when he came to. He was chilled as if he'd been napping without enough clothes on to keep his body temperature normal. His legs felt like they were made of lead. His memory was hazy, his vision blurry and his tongue felt thick and dry in his mouth. Yet he was certain this wasn't because of his usual sleep paralysis. Something was different. He could open his eyes and look around, even if his eyes were still adjusting to the unnecessarily bright light. Why couldn't he move?

"Ig… gy?"

No answer.

"Prompt…o?"

Still nothing.

"Gl… adio?"

He lifted his head and looked around as the blinding light faded into a more comfortable brightness and his headache eased. He was in what seemed to be the storage room of an airship. How had he gotten there? Were they stowaways? But what was their destination? And why couldn't he remember? A painted golden behemoth on one of the metal walls caught his eye; the imperial coat of arms. His blood ran cold.

 _Oh no._

He tried to sit up, but his hands were bound behind his back. Slowly his unresponsive legs woke from the aftereffects of the drug and he managed to sit up. He was still wearing the white airy clothing of Tenebrae. Okay, he was definitely _not_ here by his own choice.

 _I'm not gonna stay here, that's for sure._

Noctis summoned _Avenger_ , but instead of feeling the familiar warmth surge in his veins he felt nothing. If anything, he felt even more exhausted than before.

 _What the…_

He turned to look over his shoulder as he attempted to summon _Blood sword_. He saw the white-blue light of his phantom swords surround his hands for a split second before the energy was sucked into his handcuffs. The cuffs hummed and glowed with the drained magical energy. It felt like he had offered himself for blood donation only to have the nurse draw more than the necessary amount.

Guess he'd have to take a more traditional approach. Gladiolus had drilled survival lessons to him as passionately as Ignis had attempted to sneak greens into his diet. He wiggled his hands trying to get a feel for the cuffs. He could do this. With a pained grunt he kneeled and pushed his cuffed hands past his rear. His wrists protested from the strain, but he ignored it and kept going. One foot at a time he stepped over his cuffed hands. He rolled his stiff shoulders and basked in the simple feeling of having his hands comfortably in front of him. But was it just him or did the cuffs feel heavier than a moment ago?

 _Don't tell me these things get stronger every time they sap my magic._

It seemed like the imperials didn't run out of ideas when it came to manufacturing equipment with magitek. Sighing, he let his abused hands fall to his lap. He hadn't fully recovered from the drug's forced drowsiness. And now he was feeling even more drained thanks to the cuffs stealing his magical energy and him doing a second rate escape act. He fought to keep his eyes open, but exhaustion fell over him like a heavy blanket.

 _Maybe... Just five minutes… Need to rest…_

Sleep claimed him once more.

* * *

Gladiolus woke up with a start as a tray was thrown heavy handedly into his cell. The slop which he assumed was supposed to be his meal flew from the tray all over the dirty metal floor.

"Enjoy, cupcake", the soldier sneered and slammed the hatch shut. Gladio blinked a few times. His cell was illuminated by dim red emergency lights on the floor level. He could hear the loud turbulence of airship engines. His hands were cuffed in front of him with good old fashioned metal handcuffs.

 _Heh. Easy._

Let it never be said Gladiolus didn't come prepared. In fact he had prepared for situations like this all his life. He reached with cuffed hands under his belt. He always kept a paperclip pierced through his underwear's waistband for emergencies such as this. Paperclip was small and light enough to go unnoticed, unlike proper tools. Hostiles might check his pockets or outer wear, but people rarely saw reason to check a man's underwear.

"Honey, if you're that desperate for some fun, you could've just told me." Gladio jolted back in surprise. He had failed to hear the hatch being opened. He pulled his hands from under his slacks and looked up. If the situation wasn't so dire he might have appreciated the black armour that did little to hide the blonde Niflheimian woman's curves.

"Although I understand your need for release, this being your last chance for it and all", she taunted as her eyes roved over his bare chest. His honey brown eyes narrowed, but he ignored her jab.

"Where are the others?"

"Around", she beamed. "Reflecting on their life before the big showdown." They were alive at least. He'd just have to break out and find them before the airship reached its destination.

"And how long we've got before that?" The female dragoon was positively droning in excitement.

"Long enough for you to finish what you started, big guy. C'mon, don't be shy. Etro knows _I_ need some entertainment." Gladio gritted his teeth in frustration.

 _Come on. Give me a time limit._

"First inspecting the base with nothing but magitek troops for company and then retrieving you lot from the other side of the country and have miss Sourpuss ignore me for a Tenebraean hussy." Gladio could only assume she spoke of Gentiana and Lunafreya. "And now another four hours to Niflheim! I tell you, the boredom is near killing me", she ranted on, barely acknowledging the tattooed man as she paced in front of the door.

 _Four hours, huh._ Plenty of time to get things going. But how to get rid of the unwanted audience?

"Sorry, doll, but you kinda ruined the mood." She stopped pacing and leaned in from the hatch, smirking arrogantly. "Babe, I can ruin more than just the mood. So you better take off your pants or I'll bring my newest toy and use you as a test subject."

Damn it. If he had had enough time to pick the lock of his cuffs earlier he could use this situation to his advantage. Maybe he still could. Or get his ass handed to him.

"Might need your help, can't quite work the belt with these cuffs", he made a show to fumble with the belt's buckle. The dragoon's alluring face twisted into an ugly sneer.

"There are two things in this world I hate above all else", she opened the heavy metal door and stepped inside his cell. "Liars", she took what appeared to be a whip from her belt. "And weak men", the whip sprung to life and crackled with electricity. The dim room was illuminated by its harsh glow.

 _Oh crap._

Gladiolus really hoped this was some drug inflected dream that he was having.

"Still can't work that belt, big guy?" He tensed, but made no move to obey her command. Of course the damned whip just _had_ to be electric. Would've been too easy to just snatch it from her with his bare hands.

The dragoon cracked her whip impatiently as a warning. "Didn't your momma ever tell you to not keep a lady waiting?"

"Good thing you're not a lady", he quipped. With an outraged scream she let the whip fly. He tried to dodge it, but was hit on his thigh. She giggled in savage joy as he doubled over and groaned in pain. The electricity stung like a mother on his barely covered flesh.

"There's more where that came from!" she singsang and readied to strike again, but was interrupted by her buzzing walkie-talkie. Angrily she took the offending gizmo and brought it to her mouth.

"What. Is. It.?"

There was a split second of hesitant silence before an imperial soldier mustered courage to address his superior. "The Prince attempted to use magic. You wanted to be informed when he's awake, ma'am."

"Copy that", she replaced her walkie-talkie and whip on her belt. "Playtime's over, kiddo. Have royalty to entertain", she was beaming again. This could only end badly for Noct if Gladio didn't get to him first. Who knows what that psycho would do to him. The dragoon hurried out of his cell and let the guard slam the door shut behind her.

Gladiolus resumed taking out the paperclip from his waistband. He straightened it and placed the piece of wire into the cuffs' keyhole and bent it to a seventy degree angle, he then took it out and replaced the wire back into the hole and bent the other end resulting in a crude wavy lined shape. He inserted the makeshift key into the keyhole, sliding it into the locking mechanism until it ran alongside its teeth. He wiggled the bent piece of wire until it pointed in the direction of the locking arm and lifted the locking device and sprung it open.

 _Score!_

Gladio removed the bent paperclip from the cuffs and replaced it on his underwear's waistband. He didn't doubt he'd need to abuse the tiny tool more than once on this escapade.

Rubbing his sore wrists he walked to the heavy door. He doubted he could break it down with brute force. Even if he could, there was still the matter of taking down the guard outside. He attempted to summon his broadsword, but wasn't surprised when it failed to materialize in his hand. He needed Noctis' cooperation for that and from what he understood the prince wasn't held nearby. The soldier from the dragoon's walkie-talkie had mentioned them knowing that Noctis had 'attempted to use magic'. They must've restrained him somehow.

Time for plan B.

"Ignis!" he shouted, loud enough to be heard by the guard, but not loud enough to appear he was trying to attract their attention. "Hurry up before the guard notices!" He crouched in front of the door as the guard opened the hatch to check the situation. When all he saw was an empty room, the guard took out his flashlight and unbolted the door. Gladio stepped back as the door swung open and hid behind it.

"The hell?"

Gladio tackled the guard. The guard attempted to reach his walkie-talkie, but Gladio head-butted his helmeted head, dazing them both momentarily. The two wrestled on the ground fighting for the upper hand. Eventually Gladio managed to overpower the guard with sheer muscle mass. He pulled the guard's helmet off and slammed the man's head hard on the metal floor several times until he heard the satisfying crunch of skull cracking open.

Victorious, he climbed off the dead man's slack body and began to undress him. Would be a tight fit, but he'd have to manage.

Once he was suitably dressed, he put the dead guard – now wearing Tenebraean white – to lean against the wall and put the discarded cuffs on his cold wrists. That outta cheer her Psychoness up.

Placing down his helmet's visor Gladio set out to search for his companions.

* * *

Luna panted heavily as she parried another strike from the humming obsidian blade. Their fight had moved from the dining room to the hallway. Gentiana's fringe clung to her sweaty forehead, but otherwise she seemed unfazed by the heavy exercise they had been partaking for the last two hours.

"You've much improved since I last witnessed you engage a barrel on the ground floor", there was a touch of pride as well as humour in her voice.

"Helps to have live opponents to train against", Luna retorted back as they circled each other. Gentiana lowered her magitek sword and took a relaxed stance. It almost took Luna back to a time when the two women had just stood there, in this very hallway, and discussed what colour for the curtains would be most suitable for the season. They had been comfortable in each other's presence. How did it all come down to this?

"What do you plan to do should you win?" the dark clad woman asked, sounding genuinely curious. "The transport ship has taken off and you're on foot. There's no way you can hope to catch up with them."

"I'll worry about the details later", Luna knew Gentiana was toying with her. She knew she wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer. Her sword arm ached and she was nearly out of breath while her opponent showed no signs of slowing down. Her defeat was inevitable, but her pride did not allow her to go down without a fight.

"Details were all that mattered to you before you left for Insomnia", Gentiana reminded her. "What has brought this sudden change in attitude?"

"Them", Luna looked outside one of the windows, letting her trembling left hand holding the rapier to slowly fall and point at the ground. "They taught me to take things one step at a time and not to worry so much about every single little thing", she murmured.

"Lunafreya", the way she said her name was so gentle. How could she be so warm one moment and a nonchalant executioner the next? "You can still save them. Just offer yourself willingly and no harm will come to them." Gentiana took a step towards her, but Luna's rapier instantly shot up in defiance. The older woman merely sighed and with a quick swipe sent the blonde's weapon flying out of her numb hand. The Niflheimian switched off her magitek blade and sheathed her weapon. Luna raised her fists and attempted to strike at the dark clad woman, but was easily blocked. Gentiana grabbed her arms and twirled her so that the blonde's back was to her chest.

"Listen", Luna stopped her futile struggling. "The Emperor has razed all the defiant provinces to the ground. Insomnia is all but ashes and the rest of Lucis will follow if the Prince doesn't stop his doomed crusade. If you keep this up and continue to rebel against the Emperor and the Chancellor, they will soften you up by destroying _your_ land and people", Luna stiffened at the mental image; the recovering people she had seen as she and the four men had walked across the city – now begging for scraps from the Empire's over bloated table. All of Tenebrae in the same state as the bombed town they had found Regis' ring from. Wasn't she supposed to do everything in her power to spare her people from suffering? Wasn't that why she agreed to marry Noctis in the first place? "Can your conscience handle the death of ten million people?"

Lunafreya went slack in Gentiana's arms. She would've fallen to her knees if it weren't for the strong arms holding her up firmly.

"Why", the Tenebraean whispered. Gentiana leaned closer as she struggled to hear the broken woman's voice. "Why do you serve such a madman? His rule will be the end of Eos as we know it."

"Because it is easier to change within the system than it is without."

Luna didn't know what to believe in anymore. One moment Gentiana was her enemy, the next she said things that made it sound like she was genuinely an ally whose methods were beyond her understanding.

"The Empire itself isn't evil. Its current leadership is blinded by greed and lust for power, yes. But removing such a leader doesn't require the annihilation of a whole nation." Luna could have laughed, but she was too weak, too tired, too _betrayed_.

"That's exactly what we were trying to accomplish. But you gave them to the Emperor on a silver platter."

Gentiana shook her head, her hold never loosening around Luna. "No. Your aim was to wipe out the Empire all the way down to its foundations. Your quest for revenge won't end with Iedolas Aldercapt's head."

So she knew. She knew what even Noctis didn't know; her deeply rooted desire to watch the Empire burn, watch it crumble and pay for its crimes against her and her people.

"The Empire did not set out to conquer all of Eos to enslave its countries and people. The original cause was noble; to unify its people underneath one banner", Gentiana sighed. "Alas the Emperor lost sight of it and removed the Senate. Now he is deaf to the voices of his own people."

While Luna hardly bought the whole unification business, she could hear from the solemn tone that Gentiana was serious and she truly believed in such a notion. "What is it that you plan to do? Why even offer Noctis to the Emperor if he is your enemy?"

"The Chancellor has long kept an eye on me. He and the Emperor are both suspicious of me, but they have no evidence of my supposed disloyalty. I needed to give them proof and divert their attention elsewhere. While they are busy with their new playthings, you and I will join them from the sidelines and wipe them out when the time is right."

Now the Niflheimian was beginning to speak her language. She only hoped they would get there before Noctis and his companions outlived their usefulness to the Emperor. This was the only path available for her. She was racing against time and she had no trustworthy allies. It was just like a year ago.

"The time will come for your vengeance", Gentiana loosened her hold on Luna to a gentle embrace. "Soon."

* * *

The airship they were on was huge. Probably the size of a shopping mall. Gladio suspected the ship had been stationed high above Tenebrae for some time while smaller transport ships had retrieved him and his companions from the Fleuret residence. He'd have to save them, get them uniforms and find an unoccupied transport ship. Internally he took down notes as he passed hallways and looked out for exit signs.

It didn't take him long to find a hangar for several transport ships. He added a big red stamp in his mental map and continued his way down the hallway. None of the imperial soldiers suspected anything. If he was lucky, the sentry he had killed still had several hours of his shift left before someone came to relieve him – only to find their post unoccupied.

He hadn't seen any doors such as his cell's and was beginning to worry he might have missed a room containing one of his friends. He couldn't go skulking around and checking every room or he'd attract attention. He needed a different approach.

Soldiers on duty most likely would be tightlipped and on high alert. Gladio saw a doorless entrance to a mess hall up ahead. _But soldiers off-duty are likely to gossip if prompted._

Gladio joined the food queue. He eyed the tables, searching for a suitable target. His eyes settled on two men who had removed their helmets and were chatting casually as they ate tasteless rations. They wore the same sentry uniform as Gladio. He walked to them.

"Mind if I join?" the two soldiers turned to look at the newcomer.

"Sure. More the merrier", answered the ginger man. His features were serious; his forehead and corners of his eyes had frown lines, but he didn't appear unfriendly. Burdened would have been a better fitting term to describe the older man. "Name's Æolus. This is Lotharius", his companion, a younger man with short curly black hair nodded in greeting. Gladio sat down next to Æolus.

"You new around here?"

Gladio lifted his visor, but didn't take off his helmet. "Yeah, just got transferred. Sentry duty. Problem is I've lost my way and my duty starts at", Gladio quickly glanced at the giant clock on the wall, "twenty one hundred."

The middle-aged ginger downed the remains of his coffee. "I can help with that", he trailed off, waiting for Gladio to offer his name.

"Ferrum", Gladio lied as he in turn chewed on the hard tasteless cube. _Best I get as much energy as I can._

"Ferrum. Yeah, I just returned from supervising some Lucian prisoner", Æolus looked thoughtful for a moment. "Wonder where they snatched a kid like him. Didn't seem like someone important."

"Might be an enemy spy", Lotharius suggested.

"I doubt that. He seemed way too young."

 _Must be Prompto._ Gladio forced himself to concentrate on eating the hard cube and not show any signs of recognition.

The dark haired youth finished chewing his ration cube, his eyes gleaming in excitement as if he was barely containing himself. "I heard they're keeping another three prisoners at different parts of the ship. One of them is apparently really important", he leaned closer to the two older men and lowered his voice. "My mate from 15th unit heard from his cousin who's stationed with the 4th unit that they're holding the Prince of Lucis in the storage room. Can you believe that? We have actual royalty onboard."

"Really?" Gladio kept his voice carefully neutral.

"Don't you go on believing everything this kid prattles", Æolus crossed his arms. "Loth here feeds on rumours. Not even half of the things his network of gossipers come up with is true."

"You said there were two others besides the spy and the Prince?"

Lotharius seemed pleased that 'Ferrum' had ignored the older man in favour of hearing his inside information.

"Apparently there's this big guy with crazy warrior hair, scars, tattoos and everything who they're holding next to the hangar in an old interrogation room."

 _C'mon, tell me where Iggy's being held._

"Then there was some lanky guy. Mates say he might be just an unfortunate bystander who was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Gladio gulped some coffee to hide his frustration. He couldn't pry for more information without seeming too obvious, but the youth didn't seem like he had any intention on revealing more.

Æolus took his helmet and tray and stood up. "Right, we better start heading to your post. Wouldn't wanna be late on your first day." Gladio followed suit and put his visor down.

"So, where do you need to be?" Damn it, he couldn't offer any location as the two men hadn't exactly given Prompto's or Iggy's location. Then again, hurrying to Noct wouldn't hurt if that crazy dragoon lady was keeping him company.

"Storage room", he answered.

"Need to be more specific than that, son. We have plenty of storage rooms on this ship", the ginger eyed him for a moment suspiciously. "You want to see the supposed Prince or something? Best leave it. No point getting yourself into trouble. Keep your head down and do as you're told and you'll make it fine."

Gladio saw the familiar alluring figure of the female dragoon from the corner of his eye. He turned his head subtly and saw her walking towards them from the direction of stairs that went down to the hull. Must be where Noct was being held.

"Uh-oh", Gladio returned his attention to the ginger. "Captain Aranea Highwind. Whatever you do, don't attract her attention. Just salute her and move on." The Niflheimian woman closed in on them. He couldn't say for sure with her helmet's visor down, but he suspected she had an unhappy grimace plastered on her angular face. He hoped that meant she hadn't gotten much 'fun' out of the captured prince.

Æolus stiffly saluted the blonde woman, Gladio followed suit. She ignored them both and continued her way up towards the hangar. Gladio prayed she wasn't heading back to his cell or his escapade would end swiftly.

"Æolus!" the two men turned to face an imperial trooper jogging towards them. "They want us topside, pronto." The ginger smiled apologeticly to Gladio.

"Afraid you're on your own, rookie. There should a map of the ship next to the staircase on each floor, so check that if you get lost again", he made a few steps to follow the trooper, but turned back to Gladio. "And don't get any ideas. They don't take kindly to snooping greenhorns." With that Æolus hurried to the deck.

Gladiolus took his chance and hurried down the stairs he had seen Aranea emerge from.

* * *

Noctis woke up to the sound of something hard hitting the wall outside the storage room, the slam echoing within his metal cell. He stretched his stiff muscles and shakily got up to his feet. He heard pained grunts and battle cries as the fighting continued. He heard a sudden gasp and the sound of a blade digging through clothing and muscle followed by a body slumping to the ground. Someone was rummaging through a keychain. The door was unbolted and an imperial soldier entered his cell.

"C'mon, Prince Charmless, we've overstayed our welcome", the soldier lifted his visor. Noctis was greeted with the grinning face of his bodyguard.

"About time you came", Noctis offered his cuffed hands to the older man.

"You could've at least made an attempt to escape instead of waiting for a knight in imperial armour to come save you", Gladio jested as he searched for the correct key. Noctis merely grumbled. He didn't feel like telling his friend that he had actually attempted it, but passed out before he got anything meaningful done.

"Think these cuffs are somehow being monitored. I overheard the Captain of this infernal vessel and apparently they were alerted when you tried to use magic. I'll remove one of the cuffs and put it on your other cuffed hand, so it'll keep feeding false information. Don't wanna alert them before we've found Iggy and Prompto."

Gladio had been worried he'd find Noctis beaten up or whipped with the damned electric whip. But by the slightly unfocused look from the prince's eyes and the ugly grimace on the fair dragoon's face when he had passed her on the hallway, he came to the conclusion Noctis had been out cold when she had come to check his status.

"What about Luna?" Noctis rubbed his freed wrist and watched Gladio drag the two soldiers – one unconscious, one dead – to the storage room. He began to remove the shorter soldier's uniform.

"As far as I'm aware she's still with Gentiana. At least that's what I gathered when the good Captain ranted on about 'miss Sourpuss ignoring her for the Tenebraean hussy'", Gladio tossed the clothes for Noctis who immediately changed from the uncomfortably cold Tenebraean white. He made sure to hide the cuffs under a metal gauntlet. His left hand felt heavy enough to drag him down, but he focused on standing straight and ignoring the cuffs' burden.

"You have any clue where Iggy and Prompto are?" They took the soldiers' walkie-talkies and locked the storage room for good measure.

"No, but I know someone who does. He's a sentry, maybe a little older than you. His name's Lotharius and he's the sort of guy who knows more than he ought to. He might still be in the mess hall", Gladio put down his visor, Noct followed suit.

They found the dark haired youth loitering outside the hall with his fellow gossipers playing cards.

"Loth", Gladio called as they approached.

"Ferrum, that you? Thought Æolus showed you where you need to be", he kept his concentration on the game, but offered a polite glance to the two newcomers. Noctis merely cocked an eyebrow behind the safety of his visor. He hoped he didn't have to come up with fake names.

"Yeah. About that. Could you spare us a moment?" Lotharius groaned as his mates tried to encourage him to leave.

"Dude, I'm _so_ close to winning. You could just check the map next to the staircase or something."

Gladio subtly let his hand rest on the short sword he had stolen from the guard, preparing for the worst. "All well and good, but we don't know the room's number. Just tell us where the Lucian boy and the bystander are being kept and we'll let you be."

Loth's forehead creased in suspicion, but as his friends kept taunting and distracting him from the game, he finally gave in and huffed: "That kid's being held in the in the old broom cupboard next to the Captain's quarters", Noctis grimaced. _Poor Prompto._ "While the foreigner is in another storage room, it's the K-5 one next to the eastern hangar."

"Thanks, I owe you one", the two undercover Lucians turned and headed for the stairs.

"You sure do, more than one!" Noct heard the young man curse loudly as he lost the game. They picked up their pace.

* * *

They decided to go for Ignis first as he was closest and they didn't want to risk a confrontation with the ill-tempered Captain. As the two approached the guarded door, the walkie-talkie Gladiolus had taken from the dead guard sprung to life.

"Photius, do you copy?"

The two men froze in their tracks as the two guards turned to them in suspicion.

"Photius, where the hell are you? Photius, do you copy?!"

"Aren't you gonna answer that, trooper?" one of the guards demanded. Gladio reached for the walkie-talkie and raised it to his mouth as if to answer, but at the last second he threw it at the guard, unsheathed his short sword and lunged. Noctis took his sword and engaged the second guard. Soon the alarm sounded as the guard who had attempted to contact Photius found said soldier's corpse in Gladio's cell. The two Lucians killed the soldiers.

"Take off the cuffs, we'll need the phantom swords", Noctis removed his gauntlet and let Gladio take off the magitek handcuffs. Finally free from the accursed gadget, Noctis summoned _Zweihander_.

"Ignis, if you can hear us, stand back!" he shouted and took down the door. Gladio rushed inside and helped Ignis off his cuffs.

"Timely rescue, although you could have used a more subtle approach", Ignis retorted as he summoned his knives with Noctis' aid.

"No time for that, Iggy. We gotta run, the crew is on high alert. They still have Prompto and will probably have an ambush waiting for us", the three men ran, listening to the buzzing of the walkie-talkies as soldiers tried to contact the unconscious and dead sentries.

A group of soldiers ran towards them, probably heading to secure Ignis' previous location. Noctis warpstroke amongst them and with _Zweihander_ in hand cleared the path with a brutal whirling attack – Tempest as he had dubbed it. The few soldiers that had managed to avoid fatal damage took up arms and shot at the prince, but their bullets missed as he danced like a blue phantom around them, phasing through all solid offensive objects.

"Iggy, behind me!" Gladio ordered as he summoned his broadsword to deflect any wayward bullets that headed their way. Noctis finished the survivors with a Full thrust. The men hurried towards the staircase, killing any and all hostiles in their path. Once inside the door slammed shut behind them. Halting momentarily to look back, they could hear automated doors closing sequentially both underneath and above them. The stairs were sealed off. They were trapped.

"Incoming!"

A grenade tumbled down the stairs, followed by another. Noctis shot blizzards at them before the bombs could reach them and do any real harm. Another five were dropped on them. Noctis managed to encase four of them in ice, but missed the fifth.

"Get down!"

But to their surprise there was no explosion. Only a quiet hiss as the supposed bomb released gas.

 _Should've known as much. They didn't keep us alive this long just to blow us sky-high the moment things went wrong._

Noctis ripped a strip of his imperial uniform and put it in front of his nose and mouth, but he couldn't completely block the tear gas from entering his lungs. He coughed and sneezed violently, his lungs burning from respiratory pain. Soon his eyes began to water. He wiped his eyes, but the action only increased the irritation. He couldn't see past the blur of tears. The urge to rub his itching eyes grew unbearable.

"Don't touch your eyes, it'll make it worse", Ignis advised between painful sounding coughs. Noctis opted to shut his eyes and lowered himself to crawl on all fours up the stairs.

Breathing grew increasingly difficult as the three men slowly made their way up the stairs, ignoring the falling shells. Once they reached the floor Prompto was on, Gladiolus summoned his broadsword and took down the door. The imperial soldiers closest to them were wearing gas masks and crouching by the walls. They opened fire without hesitation. Noctis rushed ahead of his comrades, his phantom weapons rapidly rotating around him and protecting him and his companions from the bullets.

 _What I wouldn't do for some eye drops right now._

Noctis advanced slowly. He tried to peek at his surroundings through teary lashes, but the irritation and blurriness forced him to close his eyes once more. His phantom swords sent soldiers flying back from the magical impact. There were few who tried to lung at the blind prince, but only managed to get impaled by the magical swords. Their corpses whirled like an uncontrollable tornado made of flesh and magical energy around Noctis. The troopers retreated in horror at the sight of their comrades being so easily butchered.

Their victory was short lived as heavy metal feet marched forward in synchronization. MTs took over where mortals had failed. Noctis stopped in his tracks as he tried to assess the situation by hearing alone.

"Highness! Don't let your guard down!" Ignis shouted as he summoned his knives. He, too, was having hard time seeing, but he had had the good sense to cover his eyes during the gassing. He could just about see what was happening.

"Keep going, Noct!" Gladio urged. Their breathing was slowly returning to normal as they moved towards clear air.

MTs kept firing, but the bullets couldn't pass the impenetrable wall. The bullets shattered on impact as if they were made of glass. An MT lunged at Noctis, swinging its upper body rapidly, but it couldn't match the enchanted swords. Piece by piece the metal parts fell off and soon the MT was nothing but a scrap metal at the prince's feet. Unlike the Niflheimian men, the machines felt no fear and merely kept going until there was nothing left of them. Noctis could feel his concentration waning.

Once the last MT was destroyed, the exhausted prince slowed the swords to a stop. He jumped at the sudden sound of the Niflheimian corpses dropping heavily on the metal floor. He opened his glowing crimson eyes and eyed the gore at his feet with mixed feelings. The swords disappeared as his eyes turned back to their usual cool blue hue.

"We'll take it from here. Sit this one out, champ", Gladio patted Noct's shoulder and took the lead.

They were met with surprisingly light resistance for the rest of the way. Ignis stood guard with his knives drawn out as Gladio picked Prompto's cell's lock with his trusty paperclip. Noctis allowed himself to lean against the wall and gather his strength for the next push. The door opened with a loud creak. Turns out it really was an old broom cupboard they had hastily emptied and repurposed as a prison cell for the young man.

But Prompto wasn't there. Instead they saw a table and on top of it were a microphone and a screen that buzzed with static.

"Damn it, he ain't here. They must've evacuated him once the alarms went off."

The men were about to leave, when the screen shuddered to life.

"Not so fast, pretty boys", Aranea's familiar crooning filled the small space. "You put up quite the show! Why, I haven't been this excited for minutes!" she giggled, the sound far from pleasant. "But you also made my boys here look bad", she scowled at the screen. They couldn't tell if she could actually see them or not. "The Chancellor is expecting a _royal_ gift and I never fail to deliver what is promised! Now then. You can continue your testosterone oozing escapade and let your friend here", she forcefully pulled Prompto to stand beside her, "meet his end."

"You need us alive. You wouldn't have gone through so much trouble otherwise", Noctis sincerely hoped she was bluffing. He had no way of reaching Prompto and no easy warpstrike solution for their current problem.

"Ohohoho, ohh noo, no-no-no. No", Aranea smirked. "You misunderstood me completely, _Highness_. I need only _you_. The others are just a bonus and an insurance for your cooperation." She turned to look at something off-screen. "You, camera-boy. Step back! Back, further! I want them to see what's at stake here."

As the camera moved back from the two blondes, the men could see that she was at the deck. She was holding Prompto tightly by his hair and arm. His hands were cuffed behind his back and he was staring at the older woman in clear panic. As the camera moved further back they could see why. She was holding him over the edge. They could see an airship engine under his dangling feet. There were no rails for Prompto to hold on to.

"Now. Prince. Let me make this crystal clear. If you do not surrender yourself at once, your friend here will learn what they say about chocobos and flying. Don't try playing any games or magicking up any swords. The boy has only one life and I'm more than happy to end his miserable existence. The longer you hesitate the bigger chance he has to be shred into pieces; my arms tire holding him like this."

 _Damn it._

"What can we do?"

"There's nothing we _can_ do. We're too far away to interfere and we're running out of time."

"We can't just leave him! He's one of us!"

Noctis blocked their shouting and walked to the microphone. He was about to press the transmission button, when Prompto's hysteric voice interrupted him.

"Noct! Don't listen to her! I'm not important, you are! You have to get out of here! You're Lucis' only hope-"

"Quiet!" Aranea shook him violently and he cried as her hand pulled at his hair painfully.

Sighing in defeat, Noctis pressed the button.

"I surrender."

Aranea's beamed. "Wise choice, Highness!" The screen shuddered and went back to static.

MTs arrived and cuffed the three men. They did not resist. They were walked to the Captain's quarters. Prompto was also there, held between MTs.

"We're arriving to Niflheim in an hour. Any last words?"

Noctis stepped forward. "I only ask that you leave this man", he nudged his head towards Ignis, "out of this. He's innocent and has nothing to do with us."

Aranea circled around Ignis, measuring him and his foreign attire and features. "A poor innocent bystander swept in the currents? My, my. If that was the case why go through so much trouble to free him? If he was truly innocent Tenebraean citizen as you claim, I don't see what he has to fear from his Niflheimian allies."

Noctis kept his face neutral. "Guilty until proven innocent, isn't that how you imperials work? I'd rather rescue a man I don't know than leave him to face an unfavourable fate at the hands of the likes of you."

Aranea zipped in front of the prince, invading his personal space. "I'd watch my tongue if I were you, Prince. _I_ hold your lives in my hands. _I_ can show mercy or intolerance." Noctis stood his ground even as he wanted to take a step back instinctively. "He will not come under harm. The Chancellor shall decide what will be done with him once his backstory's been confirmed."

And with that they were dismissed and taken to their individual cells. Their guard was doubled and MTs were stationed inside the cells by the doors. Noctis had his old familiar magitek cuffs on while Gladio and Prompto were rewarded with electric cuffs; another sample of Aranea's newfound toys. Ignis had only metal cuffs, but he wasn't spared with guards either.

Before the ship arrived to its destination Aranea paid Gladiolus another visit. He was left unconscious, his body spasming from too many electrocutions and his back full of gashes from her whiplash.

* * *

 _A/N: Oh boy, this is by far the longest chapter I've ever written. I hope it's not too taxing to read._

 _Gladio stole the show, whoo! And I taught the readers to escape handcuffs, uhh, yay?_

 _If you're interested, the two soldiers' names – Æolus and Lotharius – mean quick-shifting and loud warrior while Ferrum is any tool or weapon made of iron._

 _I like to think Luna's left-handed. She even wields the trident in her left hand in the new trailer. :) And Gentiana, gurl, decide which side you are on already!_

 _When my friend read the part with the imperial corpses impaled with Noctis' swords, he said it was a corpsnado. I thought it was hilarious._


	15. part 4 - Lunacy

Title: Lunacy  
Genre: Drama, action  
Summary: Luna exacts her revenge on Niflheim, but plans go awry.

 **Chapter 12, part 4: Lunacy**

Lunafreya stared at her reflection as Gentiana braided her hair. Hard icy eyes stared back. Her skin was healthy and tan from months of travelling with Noctis and his friends. Gone was the pale ghost with hollow eyes, in its place now sat a confident woman; a woman who was ready to do anything for her cause. She fingered the ceremonial trident Gentiana had kept safe for her. It was hers by birthright as the last living member of Tenebraean royalty. It was the symbol of her people. Its handle had an engraving of the country's guardian deity; the Siren.

Luna had never put her powers to a use for she was afraid of causing more destruction than good. But ever since her near fatal experience as a child, she had seen brief reflections of a great sea serpent's silhouette. Sometimes in a fountain, sometimes in her bath water or even in Umbra and Pryna's water bowls. The serpent's presence was a constant companion. It never spoke or acknowledged her when she tried to speak to it.

Her handmaidens had not believed her at first and speculated that the war, the invasion and living under martial law were beginning to take their toll on her mental health. At Luna's insistence she was taken to the cathedral to meet the High Priest. In the confession booth they spoke in hushed voices safe from imperial ears. The High Priest and his most trusted priests scoured the sacred library for an ancient tome which included the answers Luna sought. She learnt that the serpent was one of the Archaeans; Leviathan, the Queen of Seas. Their souls were bound together and the Queen was hers to call upon.

The next night when most of the imperial soldiers were off whoring and pillaging in the city, Luna ran to the fountain. As always, the Queen's shadow emerged from the depths. Luna peered at the silhouette, but couldn't distinguish anything past the outlines. Tentatively she reached and let her small hand break the water's surface.

Nothing happened.

Frowning, she splashed the water, but the great serpent remained unmoving. Determined, she made a little vortex by rapidly moving her arm in circles underwater.

Still nothing.

She removed her hand from the fountain, huffed and stared at the silent Queen.

"How can I communicate with you if you won't even acknowledge me?"

Loud drunken laughter alerted her to the presence of incoming imperials. She got up and sneaked back into her room past the bored night guards.

Her door was in poor condition. Several door bolts and the main locking mechanism had been torn from it by force. She and her servants had attempted to repair the door many times, but when an imperial _really_ wanted to enter her room, no lock could keep them out. Out of habit she locked her door with the newest bolt and moved her table in front of the door. She doubted the door bolt would last a week.

Luna crawled into her bed and noted the cold sheets. Vesper, her only remaining male servant, was absent. He had taken the role of a bodyguard after the imperial soldiers were assigned into her home. He slept in her bed every night and acted as a last line of defense between her and the imperials. Most of the time he managed to fight off the invaders until they gave up and went to harass the handmaidens instead. Other times the imperials ganged on him and beat him until he couldn't stand up anymore.

Luna searched her room for any notes Vesper might've left for her, but found none. His sudden absence unnerved her terribly.

Soft padding outside followed by a quiet whine and scratching on Luna's door halted her search. She hurried to let her canine friend inside. Pryna dutifully strolled in and sat down beside the bed at attention while Luna relocked and barricaded the door. She hurried to Pryna's side and removed the hidden letter from the canine's leg-wrap before rewarding the husky with a treat.

A message from the High Priest. Luna took a flashlight from her drawer and pulled a blanket over her and Pryna. She didn't wish to alert any imperials of her night activities with a light show. The message lacked all the usual formalities the High Priest insisted adding in a normal letter. Her 'dog mail' did not have the luxury for long drawn out articles.

 _The key to communicating with the Queen lies in your family's trident. Only with it you can reach out to her._

"Gil for your thoughts", Gentiana's gentle voice snapped Luna back to the present from her childhood memories.

"Oh, I was just remembering my-", Luna cast an awkward glance at the dark clad woman before returning to stare at her own reflection. "Previous bodyguard."

The skillful hands braiding her hair came to a halt. "What happened to them?" Gentiana asked conversationally.

Cerulean eyes lowered, sadness pushing heavily down on her slender shoulders. "He just disappeared one night. I never saw him again." Gentiana's face betrayed no emotion as she continued to work with Luna's hair. "One of my handmaidens said he had been captured and taken to forced labour at an imperial encampment. I wanted to believe that, because another one claimed he had been taken there as target practice."

"And now?"

Luna opened her mouth, but hesitated for a second before admitting. "I found a file on him in your possession. He was executed."

"And to this day I never knew you went through my things. I am impressed, Lunafreya", Gentiana finished the braid and pinned it in its usual style. Luna ignored the compliment and let the older woman help her into a long hemmed white dress.

Heavy silence ensued, only broken by the gentle tapping of first raindrops against the window glass. Soon it would pour.

"I will die, won't I."

Gentiana's brow furrowed in what Luna presumed to be worry. "Have you had visions of your death?" Her hands stopped straightening the dress' collar and slid down Luna's arms sending shivers down the younger woman's spine.

"No."

"Then there is hope. Anything could go wrong which is why we must be careful."

As a finishing touch Gentiana tied a necklace around Luna's slender neck. Luna eyed the jewelry from the mirror. It had a small crescent moon hanging from the chain. A gift she had received from Noctis on her last day in Insomnia. He had admitted that his father the King had commissioned it for her. She had treasured the necklace and worn it under her many layers of travelling wear. But she wouldn't hide her feelings for the Lucian Prince anymore. She would wear the necklace and the engagement ring proudly and let the entire world see.

"You look beautiful", Gentiana smiled tenderly and kissed the blonde's crown. "Like a saint from old descriptions."

"Or a martyr", Luna stood up, trident in left hand. She nearly jumped when she felt the older woman's cool hand cover her right hand.

"May Etro watch over you, Lady Lunafreya. While we might not have always seen from eye to eye I have always respected you. Even loved you." Luna was speechless. She glanced at their intertwined hands. She doubted she would ever understand the dark haired woman. Hesitantly she squeezed Gentiana's hand before withdrawing hers. She turned to head to the door, but paused and turned back to the Niflheimian, her gaze refusing to meet the warm moss green eyes.

"You wanted to know the power of Etro's Gate", Leviathan's familiar silhouette caught her eye from the many rain drops trailing down the window glass. "Soon you will learn."

* * *

"I thought we would head to Niflheim. That is where the airship was heading, was it not?" Luna frowned as she sat down next to her attendant.

"Aldercapt has made an official announcement that he is retiring. According to my intelligence the Emperor and the Chancellor are currently in Altissia."

"At the height of his power? Wise move on his part", Luna crossed her arms. After Lucis had fallen, the Niflheimians had wasted no time in invading Accordo. Iedolas Aldercapt had taken a liking to the beautiful floating capital city. She didn't doubt the pompous Emperor would enjoy his last days with as many luxuries as all of Eos could offer. Such vanity disgusted her to no end.

"Just so. The crowning ceremony is scheduled to take place tomorrow morning", Gentiana had sent for four military trained Tenebraeans to act as official bodyguards for Luna during their journey. Their teal and white uniforms were an impressive sight as they patrolled silently outside the first class seating.

"Most likely candidates would be his son or Chancellor Izunia", Luna presumed.

"Personally, I believe he will give up his position to his son. The Chancellor has most of the power. The Emperor is closer to a figurehead in this day and age."

Luna absently fingered her engagement ring as she watched the clouds fly by.

"What of Noctis? Will he be there?"

Gentiana took out her phone and messaged briefly with her personal undercover spy; a security guard working for the Chancellor. "Yes, he is most definitely there along with his companions. His 'surrender' will boost the Niflheimians' morale as well as pacify potential uprisings within Lucian territory. They won't pass this chance to humiliate Lucis' last hope in front of the media."

Luna rested her hand on her trident and felt the Archaean stir.

The Empire would pay. She would save her friends and end Eos' misery.

* * *

Their one hour trip to Niflheim had been postponed. Noctis wasn't sure if to thank Etro or curse the extended waiting. Apparently the Emperor had changed his plans regarding him and ordered the ship to do a U-turn towards Accordo. The soldiers didn't tell him anything. His only source of information came from the buzzing of walkie-talkies the sentinels answered to. After hours of trying to catch any hint of what was to come, he gave up and let his mind wander until sleep claimed him.

"Rise and shine, Princeling. We've reached our destination", Noctis was harshly pulled to his feet. Last remnants of sleep still blurring his vision, he stumbled as two MTs dragged him by the arms outside his cell. He could only make out the black armour and long blonde hair of the savage dragoon in front of him as they marched down the ramp. Noctis inhaled the fresh salt scented air greedily as a gentle wind ruffled his locks. Seagulls squawked and huge waterfalls roared in the distance. This is where he was he was supposed to marry Lunafreya.

Well, this visit was not turning out at all how he had envisioned it.

To his relief he saw his friends being dragged towards the same destination as him. At least he wouldn't be alone, but he didn't have high hopes for escaping a second time.

Their destination appeared to be the coliseum. The usually fully packed rows were completely vacant. In the middle of the arena was a stage built for non-combat occasions such as this. The stage was decorated in the imperial colours and high above the audience seats Noctis could see the screens flashing with the golden Behemoth and catchphrases such as "The Empire is a tune. It must be sung together." On top of the stage stood Emperor Iedolas Aldercapt conversing with the Chancellor Ardyn Izunia accompanied by their personal bodyguards, security and other important politicians ranging from trueborn Niflheimians to provincials. Next to the stage patrolled a company of MTs while above in the sky smaller airships filled with alert soldiers kept watch.

Noctis and his friends were roughly pushed to their knees in front of the Empire's Dynamic Duo.

"Well, well. What have we here? Our missing Prince and his bodyguards? Well done, Highwind. We are most pleased", Ardyn drawled. Aranea beamed as the Chancellor showered her with praises. Iedolas Aldercapt turned to the Prince, a self-assured smirk dancing on his thin dry lips.

"Did you get cold feet before the big day, boy? Not very polite to run off from you own wedding." Noctis met his sneer with equal distaste.

"Only imperials would use a peace treaty as an invasion strategy. How low the mighty fall." The Emperor swatted his hand as if Noctis' words were just annoying buzzing of a fly.

"Big words from the losing side", he leaned closer and grabbed the Prince by the collar. "You forget I hold all the cards. You would do well to remember that lest you want your friends here to suffer needlessly." Iedolas let go of Noctis and turned to return to the other politicians.

Noctis shot a look to his companions. He met Gladiolus' defiant glare. Prompto's eyes darted everywhere and he was clearly close to succumbing to panic. Ignis remained calm as ever and narrowed his eyes at Noctis as he attempted to silently communicate.

Noctis still had one more card up his sleeve. He just had to play it right.

"Wait."

The Emperor and Chancellor turned to the kneeling Lucian.

"You're making a mistake. This man is not my companion", he shook his head towards where Ignis was held down by an MT. "He is just a Tenebraean civilian we hired to guide us to the Fleuret residence. He has nothing to do with us and he doesn't even know our true identities."

The Chancellor shot a displeased look towards the dragoon captain.

"Is that so, Captain Highwind?"

"I cannot confirm nor deny, Sir. He appears to be wearing regular Tenebraean citizen's clothing", she stepped to Prompto who nearly whimpered as she kneeled down to his eyelevel. "But so is this man. It is obvious the Prince and his entourage were undercover. This proves nothing."

Noctis tried to keep himself from snapping. "Look at him! He doesn't look Lucian in the slightest. I can't have an innocent man suffer just because we hired him to take us from place A to B", he was getting desperate to come up with a decent excuse. One of the security guards approached Ardyn and whispered to him.

"Think about it. How would Tenebraeans react if their _benevolent_ Emperor were to capture and execute one of their own citizens – an innocent man no less – far from home soil? There would be an uproar in the media and–"

Ardyn lifted his hand to quiet the Prince's ranting. Noctis knew they could just _not_ tell the media about this little episode. As it was, it was highly unlikely the media would know what would happen to the Prince after the crowning ceremony and his public humiliation. Still, he hoped to appeal to the Emperor's vanity.

"Take the Prince and the two Lucians away. Dress them in black. We do not want our audience to be confused about their identity", Iedolas ordered the guards. The MTs hauled the three men on their feet and dragged them after the guards.

"What of this one?" Aranea gestured towards Ignis.

"I just received a message from Gentiana", Ardyn replied. "She gave me reason to believe she was the one who captured the Prince. Is this true?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Then she most likely knows the identity of this man. He will remain here until she arrives."

* * *

"Your Imperial Majesty", Gentiana bowed deeply to the Emperor and nodded respectfully in acknowledgement to Ardyn. "Chancellor."

"Ah, Gentiana. Just the woman we needed. Quite the chance that you were already heading here", Ardyn circled the dark glad woman like a vulture.

"I did not wish to be late to the ceremony, my Lord."

"Yes, yes, of course", he stopped circling and gestured the guards to bring Ignis forward. "Now. Tell me who this man is. He was among the Prince and his bodyguards, but he claims it is a misunderstanding."

Gentiana kept her face neutral as she seized up the lean man in clothes that were a bit too obviously not his size.

"His name is Vesper Custos. He used to work at the Fleuret manor before I replaced the staff."

"So he's a Tenebraean?"

"As Tenebraean as Tenebraeans get, my Lord."

Aranea frowned skeptically. Gentiana might be telling the truth, but there was something strange going on with the foreign man – and not just his ill-fitted clothes. He seemed way too calm to be in such a dire situation. And why had Gentiana let her take him along with the Prince if he was merely an innocent bystander?

Iedolas Aldercapt seemed to be of a different mind. "Let this man free. He shall bear witness to my good will towards our allies." The guards removed the metal cuffs from Ignis and helped him up. He rubbed his sore wrists and bowed politely to the Emperor and Chancellor. The Emperor clasped Ignis' shoulder. "I want you to witness the crowning. Today shall be a day to remember." And with that Ignis was dismissed.

He hurried towards the coliseum exit and nearly bumped into Lunafreya who was waiting outside with her bodyguards.

"Ignis!" she exclaimed. Ignis hurried to put a finger on his lips as a sign for silence. Luna lowered her voice and pulled him aside with her. "You're alright?"

"As fine as can be expected. But I am now known as Vesper Custos, thanks to your _friend_." Luna ignored the jab and pressed on.

"Where's Noctis? What of Prompto and Gladio?"

"They are being held by the imperials. There's too many of them, we cannot hope to fight through them even if I were to include your four guards and _her_ ", he clearly was not impressed by Gentiana's side switching.

"It's alright. We have a plan. After this day the Emperor will be no more, I promise." Ignis' brows shot up at her bold statement.

"Do tell."

"There is no time. Gentiana is about to call for me. Just trust me. Once the chaos begins you have to free them. No matter what happens, stick with Noctis. Can I count on you?"

"With my life, my Lady."

Luna smiled brilliantly and offered her rapier as well as the four men's Lucian clothes they had left at the Fleuret manor.

"Keep him safe." Ignis took the bagful of clothes and tied the rapier around his waist.

"I will."

"Go." Ignis turned and jogged off to find a place to change from the uncomfortable Tenebraean clothing.

As on cue Luna could hear Gentiana make her announcement to the Emperor and Chancellor.

"I've freed the much beloved Princess of Tenebrae from the Lucian Prince and his terrorists."

Lunafreya stepped forward from the protective circle of her bodyguards. She curtsied low, her eyes downcast and demure. The Emperor offered his hand. Lunafreya forced her internal rage and humiliation not to show as she kissed the ring on his wrinkly finger.

"His Imperial Majesty and I are most glad to see the long _unexpected_ captivity has not dampened the spirits of our _truest_ of allies", Ardyn grinned and made no show to hide the knowing gleam in his eyes. Gallantly he took her small hand in his and placed a kiss on her knuckles. Luna repressed a shudder and kept her features serene.

"Your arrival is timely. The crowning ceremony will begin within few hours", Ardyn leaned close, his stubble scratching her cheek and his breath hot and unpleasant in her ear. "Take the moment to eye on your beloved _kidnapper_ , my Lady. After he is demeaned in front of all of Eos, he will become an imperial lab rat. It might take time, but he _will_ succumb and yield us the Lucian King's power."

Luna kept a pleasant smile plastered on her face. "I look forward to it. In fact, I come bearing a gift which I wish to bestow to the new Emperor."

"Truly?" Iedolas' face betrayed no emotion, but Luna could near feel the mistrust radiating from him.

"With your permission", Luna turned to Gentiana. "Retrieve the ceremonial trident. I wish to bless it and offer it with the goodwill of every Tenebraean citizen to our new leader."

Ardyn held up his hand. "Hold", he interrupted Gentiana. "Perhaps it is best that this _grand_ act between royalty is saved for the ceremony – for all to see!"

"Splendid idea", Iedolas agreed. "Captain Highwind will escort you to your honorary seats."

"What of the trident?" Gentiana's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"It shall be brought to you by my men shortly", Ardyn assured. "Safety precautions, you understand."

"Of course. We take our leave", Luna curtsied politely. The ill-tempered dragoon sneered at the white clad Tenebraean.

"This way, _my Lady_."

Gentiana walked beside Luna and kept a watchful eye on their surroundings, the four bodyguards followed behind at a respectful distance.

Ardyn bowed to the Emperor and took his leave as well.

* * *

Ignis had just managed to change back to his suit when he heard footsteps. He hid in the shadows and saw the Chancellor walk by with Lady Lunafreya's trident. What could the Niflheimian possibly be doing with it? He trailed after the older man from a safe distance.

The Chancellor entered a small diner. He signaled the owner who in turn emptied the diner from customers. Ignis stayed outside and crept beneath an open window and listened.

Ardyn was speaking to another man.

"Verstael, I trust you still carry that shard of corrupted crystal on you."

"Of course. What do you need it for?" a deep unfriendly voice rasped. This man was clearly much older than the Chancellor.

 _He must be the magitek researcher._ Every Lucian knew of the man behind the accursed imperial machinery.

"Gentiana has failed to report on the Lady Lunafreya's supposed powers during her stay in Tenebrae. Their sudden appearance at the same time is highly suspicious. I'm inclined to think the Lady has grown a spine during her little road trip with the Lucians and thinks herself bold enough to challenge us now. I would like to make sure she doesn't succeed in whatever it is that she plans to do."

That man seemed to be always one step ahead of them. But what did corrupted crystal have to do with anything? Ignis strained to listen.

"You've seen how it affected the Glaive we captured. It is highly unstable. If the Tenebraean witch is what you say she is it could have terrible consequences."

"Which is exactly what we want, Verstael. Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, Lady Lunafreya is a highly beloved figurehead. If her name were to be sullied by Altissian blood, she would lose all her support in an instance. Who would take the side of a heartless murderer after all?"

They chuckled as if a good joke was hidden between the lines.

Ignis had to warn Lunafreya. He crept away from the diner and dashed as fast as his legs could carry him back to the coliseum.

* * *

The coliseum was packed full with regular citizens, politicians, news reporters and various important people. If the circumstances were different Prompto would've enjoyed himself immensely. As it was he had hard time feeling anything positive with an imposing MT holding his and Noctis' shoulders in an iron grip. They were not even allowed to stand up without permission. His electric cuffs had at least been changed to normal metal ones. The Chancellor didn't seem to take too well to the crazy dragoon's sadistic tendencies. Just thinking of her and the mad gleam in her eye as she held him over the airship engine made his stomach churn uncomfortably.

"Noct?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think Iggy made it out?"

Noctis kept his gaze glued to the stage.

"He's not here with us, so I'd assume so."

"Wonder what his plan is to get us out?" Noctis resisted the urge to flinch. Prompto's near naïve optimism was often a source of strength to him and his companions. But now it only hurt to burst his bubble.

"There's nothing he can do for us, Prompto. I'm just glad one of us made it out alive", his sigh was drowned by the chatter and cheers of the audience. "We're out of allies. Luna will be forced to become a puppet for the Empire once more and no-one will rise to challenge the Empire."

It nearly physically hurt to watch Prompto's face fall. He looked utterly defeated. Noctis probably looked the same for he certainly felt that way. There was no way out of this mess. There were too many guards and MTs surrounding them, all armed to the teeth. Even Gladio wouldn't be able to do his escape act when their every movement was closely monitored.

Their attention returned to the stage as the Emperor gave his retiring speech and introduced his son as his heir. The crowd cheered. Prompto couldn't help but wonder if it was genuine or if the people were held at gunpoint just like him.

"Hey, isn't that Luna?" Gladio exclaimed as he peered at the stage. Both youths turned to look where the tattooed man was pointing with his cuffed hands. Sure enough Noctis could see the familiar slender figure of his betrothed at the edge of the stage. Her pure white dress was a stark contrast to Gentiana's black garments.

* * *

Things were not going at all as planned. She had hoped to avoid the crowds and give her 'gift' to the Emperor and his son in private. There would be casualties if she was not careful. Ardyn had yet to return her trident and she couldn't help but speculate what took them so long to check the trident for potential threats. In fact, she didn't see the Chancellor anywhere among the noble folk. What was he planning?

"It is time, Lunafreya", Gentiana gently informed her. Luna nodded and gracefully walked to the center of the stage where Iedolas Aldercapt's son stood, his tall figure glad in white robes just as imposing as his father's. Luna couldn't help but think he was the exact opposite of Noctis. A security guard in a smart suit and leather gloves stepped forward and offered the ceremonial trident to her. She accepted it and curtsied before the future Emperor.

"My Lord. I wish to bestow you this trident as a sign of everlasting friendship between Niflheim and Tenebrae. But before I do, I ask that you allow me bless it true to Tenebraean customs."

"You may."

And with that Luna closed her eyes, held the trident with both hands and called for the Queen. She felt strange cool energy seep from the trident to her fingers tips and spread across her entire being, making her skin crawl forebodingly.

A distant roar erupted from the sea. The audience fell silent and held their breath as the sound of something huge moving beneath the surface came closer.

"O Leviathan, Lady of Whorl, bestow us thine judgment!"

Luna opened her eyes and was nearly overwhelmed by the hatred and the greed she saw in the politicians' eyes that surrounded her. She noticed a security guard eyeing her body up and down with no self-restraint. Memories from Tenebraean's fall invaded her mind. She had seen that look too many times. After Vesper had disappeared, nothing had stood between her and the group of imperials in desperate need for sexual relief.

She visibly trembled as she saw their needy eyes roam over her body. There was nothing to hide behind, no clothing to cover her indecency. She wanted to scream, she wanted to cry. Instead she closed her eyes and tried to force the images away, but they wouldn't stop. A man took hold of her and pinned her to the ground while his partner began to undo his belt.

 _Letmeoutletmeoutletmeout-_

The images cleared, but the sneers were still firmly plastered on the people around her. All eyes were focused on her. She felt like a sheep in a den of wolves. Desperately Luna scanned the crowd for a friendly or at the very least a neutral face to focus on. Her gaze was pulled as if by a magnet to Noctis. He was far above her in the back row, his face cold and emotionless.

Shower. She was in a shower. Scrubbing blood and dirt out of her hair when she felt the hairs in her neck stand up in a subconscious warning. She turned off the running water and tiptoed to the door. She could hear groaning and panting from the other side. The door handle turned. There was no lock. She had no weapon to defend herself with. She was naked and vulnerable. Between the heavy breathing she could hear Noctis drawling her name.

 _She trusted him! He invaded her privacy! How could he?!_

His arm snaked around her waist as she settled down for the night. His invading hand trailed down and slithered underneath her trousers' waistline. She stopped his advances, but he merely laughed and told her she was his now. She wore his ring as a proof.

 _Disgusting. Vile. Horrible._

She ripped her gaze from her betrothed and turned to look at Gladiolus by his side.

Always belittling her, dancing around her like she was a little girl. He never took her seriously and merely entertained her for the sake of the Prince. To him she was just a weakling, a burden, a luggage that took too much space on the car. If he had only given her a chance to prove herself-

He would've what? Accepted her to their circle of friends that dated back more than a decade? How could she ever hope to be one of them? She was just a spineless girl, a pushover who dared not lift a finger in self-defense against imperials.

Luna held her head while clutching the trident to her chest. What was going on?

" _Lunafreya?"_

Her teary gaze rose to meet Gentiana's familiar green eyes. But they were not warm. They were full of deceit.

She trusted her! For a year she treated her as a friend. And this was how she repaid her? She betrayed her and she betrayed those who she once regarded as friends. She made a fool out of her!

Warmth. An embrace.

Gentiana was holding her. She had wrapped her in a towel after finding her in the shower. Gentiana… She held her like no-one ever had. She made Luna believe love was not completely out of her reach. But it was all an act. She knew when the humming obsidian magitek blade rose to swipe at her fragile heart; there was no warmth or love in those olive green eyes. Only hate, deceit and lust for power.

" _Lunafreya! Stop! People will die if you do not_ stop _!"_

Luna's ears were overwhelmed by the screams of panic and pain. She gasped and held on to her trident possessively as if it was the only thing grounding her to reality. Her eyes darted across the roaring crowd. They were all against her. They were all a threat.

The Queen felt her anxiety, her disgust, her fear, her pain and her _hatred_. And she listened. This city would be cleansed from the filth.

* * *

Gentiana's calls fell to deaf ears. Lunafreya was long gone from her reach.

A roar pierced the air as Leviathan summoned forth a tidal wave. It crashed heavily against the coliseum wall. The wall cracked ominously, but held only barely. People screamed and panicked as they ran; some even jumped over each other to get as far away from the towering figure of the great sea serpent. People were ran over as no-one paid attention to their surroundings nor spared a second thought for fellow man.

The airships engaged the Archaean, but even their magitek infused bullets and missiles could not penetrate the Queen's scaly hide. Aranea was screeching to her walkie-talkie and ready to depart for battle. A small airship lowered to the coliseum's stage and the security hurried the Emperor and his son to safety. This was the chance Gentiana needed. She ran towards the airship, hand reaching for the handle of her magitek blade.

Another crash of a tidal wave on the coliseum wall shook the ground and penetrated the wall. Gentiana lost her balance and missed her chance as the airship took off the ground.

"Damn it!" she hissed and rose back on her feet. Water already seeped through the crack and in no time it reached her ankles. Gentiana jumped off the stage and swam to the audience seats. Masses of people were flooding out of the coliseum, but all the chaos and panic seemed to only make it harder for people to leave. Those who had been run over did not have the strength to swim and drowned. It was every man for themselves.

Gentiana pushed wet locks from her eyes and hoisted herself up. She ran for the stairs and nearly crashed into a man who seemed to have lost his sense of direction. Who was insane enough to _want_ to go for a swim? She was ready to give him a piece of her mind when she noticed he wore traditional Lucian black.

"Ignis Stupeo Scientia, I presume?" Said man narrowed his eyes in mistrust and adjusted his glasses which had nearly flown off his nose from their near run-in.

"Correct."

"Come with me. I need your help to free the Prince."

Ignis had no arguments to that and dutifully followed the Niflheimian woman upstairs. As they reached the top, the water level had already risen midway. It seemed even with the crack on the wall and the wide open entrance door the coliseum was doomed to drown. They easily spotted the Prince being held by six MTs who had yet to receive a retreating order among all the chaos and static that the Archaean's presence caused.

Ignis unsheathed Lunafreya's rapier and Gentiana switched on her obsidian magitek blade.

"This will be over quickly."

* * *

Noctis was not sure what to think as he watched his friend and enemy take down the MTs with such synergy he would've thought the two had fought side by side before.

"Highness, are you alright?" Ignis asked as he removed the magitek handcuffs off him.

"Fine", he replied and summoned _Partisan_. "What the hell is happening here? Where's Luna? I need to get her to safety." The stage had long gone underwater and there were no traces of Lunafreya anywhere.

"I will explain once we are in the clear", Gentiana replied curtly. "We need to get to the city and find a boat. As things are now it won't be long before there will be no ground to stand on."

Prompto eyed the coliseum in worry. "How do we leave? Most of the coliseum is underwater. I don't know about you guys, but I for sure can't hold my breath long enough to get to the entrance."

"Get ready for the biggest water slide of your life", Gladio slapped the freckled blonde's back which earned him a yelp.

"I can get us a ship", Noctis eyed an airship hovering over the coliseum. He threw the _Partisan_ and warpstroke. His spear impaled an imperial soldier. The soldier fell with a guttural gasp as blood coloured the metal floor in deep red. Rest of the soldiers followed shortly after. With only the pilot left Noctis materialized next to him and summoned a dagger and held it to the startled pilot's neck.

"Take us down. We've got passengers to retrieve."

The pilot did as he was told.

The water reached the quartet's knees by the time the airship lowered its ramp for them.

"Alright, take us up. Let's see if we can get a better view of this place."

Leviathan wasn't as close to the shore as they had initially believed. Her imposing figure was truly a sight to behold. The sheer size of her!

The Prince turned to the Niflheimian woman. "You. Talk."

Gentiana sighed as she attempted to dry her drenched clothing and hair.

"Lunafreya and I agreed take down the Emperor and the Chancellor. They have had their eyes on me for a while so I had to divert their attention elsewhere. That is why I allowed you to be captured. Luna believed she could save you by summoning Leviathan, but something went wrong", she crossed her arms and frowned as she recalled how strangely Luna had been behaving. "She was raving about being disgusted, how she needed to cleanse this land from impurity and how all of us were a threat to her. I never thought the power of Etro's Gate to be so fully consuming and corrupting. Had I known, I would have never allowed her to go through with this."

Noctis' jaw twitched as he clenched and unclenched his fists, clearly bottling up all the anger he felt. He altered between blaming himself for letting this happened and blaming Gentiana for ruining all of their plans by pulling them to her personal vendetta against the Emperor and Chancellor.

Ignis stepped forward.

"I believe I might know the reason for Lady Lunafreya's uncharacteristic behavior." All four sets of eyes shot up to him expectantly. "After she gave me her rapier and our clothing, I trailed after Ardyn Izunia. He had Lady Lunafreya's trident and met up with the head magitek scientist Verstael. They spoke of corrupted crystal shards and how they had affected a member of Kingsglaive."

Noctis' eyes widened at the mention of his father's most elite soldiers.

"From what I understood the corrupted crystal doesn't do anything on its own, but when magic is involved the subject becomes… Unbalanced. At least that would explain how Verstael and Izunia were able to handle the corrupted crystal without it affecting them while a magic wielding Glaive would suffer from side-effects."

Gladiolus rested his hands on his hips. "So you mean to say the trident makes her crazy?"

"In as few words – yes, I believe so. They must've infused the trident with a corrupted crystal shard."

Prompto fidgeted uncomfortably. "Question: how do we find her? She wasn't in the coliseum, but the big serpent's clearly still on a rampage."

"I'll get us another airship. Then we split up into two groups. We need to cover as much ground as fast as we can. Time's not our side", Noctis went to the pilot to order him fly closer to another small airship.

"It never is", Gladio sighed.

Gentiana took out her phone and attempted to contact her undercover security guard, but as she expected the connection was weak at best. Leviathan's mere presence disrupted all communications and most power lines near the coliseum had perished under the weight of continuous tidal waves.

* * *

Once Noctis had secured a second transporter, Prompto joined him while Ignis and Gladiolus stayed with Gentiana – mostly because they didn't trust her enough to leave Gladio alone with her should she change her mind and engage him.

The coliseum had completely sunk beneath the water level. The city was not far behind; all the streets and one story buildings were completely gone out of sight. Most people had made it to the boats, but there were still many who had climbed on top of the taller buildings' roofs hoping to postpone their inevitable demise in the mercy of raging tides.

Noctis watched as an airship rose from a station, packed full of terrified civilians, only to be crushed under another tidal wave. None emerged. The wave had pushed the ship to the bottom. Noctis clutched to his head as hundreds of deaths flashed behind his eyelids all at once; the airship's walls had cracked and it was rapidly filling with sea water. Some hit their heads from the crushing impact and died on the spot while others died a slow death as they fought for air and drowned.

Prompto noticed his friend's distress and firmly shook him.

"Noct! C'mon, we have to focus here!"

Noctis opened his eyes, but his vision was filled with the dancing lights of expired souls. "So many deaths", he groaned.

They continued to fly further into the city. Noctis' anxiety grew with each minute as he fought off visions. Never had he seen visions while fully awake. He had always taken meager solace in the fact that he suffered from them only between sleep and wake. But now as thousands of people died at once and overwhelmed his senses with sights and sounds that did not belong to him, he couldn't help but think how he had taken his previous state for granted.

Prompto kept shaking him and calling his name, trying to help him fight off the visions, but Noctis could barely hear him or feel his hand on his shoulder.

The pilot's gasp brought Prompto's attention from his friend to the landscape and what he saw left his jaw hanging. Dozens of funnel clouds had formed and were slowly descending from the storm clouds. Once they reached the water surface, the water devils began to move towards the city. In no time they destroyed remaining tall buildings and structures. As if Leviathan couldn't impress and frighten Prompto anymore the typhoons began to head towards each other and merged into a giant watery vortex that engulfed half of Altissia. Their pilot managed to barely avoid getting sucked into the typhoon's current and they safely flew into the eye of the storm.

Prompto let out a small noise of shaken triumph and the pilot let out a long breath he hadn't realized he had been holding in all this time.

* * *

"Damn it, we've lost Noct!" Gladiolus slammed his fist on the airship's wall.

"He is on his own now, following him would be suicide", Ignis' usually stoic voice wavered slightly. He had promised to King Regis as well as Lady Lunafreya to remain by the Prince's side. He should've followed him. Gentiana was least of his worries, what had he been thinking?

Gladiolus wasn't ready to give up just yet. "Can't we fly above the clouds and descend to the storm from there?"

"This ship wasn't designed to fly up that high. It's merely for troop transportation", the pilot replied.

They stood in silence as the pilot allowed himself to take reins and pull back from the destruction and the imposing figure of Leviathan. The silence was broken by Gentiana's phone suddenly vibrating in her pocket. She hurriedly took it out and read the message from her spy.

 _Emperor's airship in the eye of the storm. Heading towards the last intact building; the cathedral._

Of course. The only person who was supposed to die from all of this had stayed alive while the other one had turned tail the moment he had sensed a storm in the horizon.

"Who was that?" Gladio eyed her suspiciously as she pocketed her phone.

"My undercover agent. The Emperor's still alive."

"I hope this will be all worth it, lady. Because if we ever manage to save Noct, Prompto and Luna, she will have some mighty heavy load of guilt to live with for the rest of her life", Gladio scoffed and went to sit beside the pilot.

Gentiana clenched her fists, but did not humour him with a reply.

* * *

 _He was high above the drowning city, standing behind the safety of rails and watching the destruction in a trance. Heavy metallic footsteps stomped behind him followed by a deafening gunshot. A bullet pierced his lungs. He fell painfully on the marble floor. A man wearing a suit in the imperial colours turned him on his back and watched as he coughed blood. The suited man merely stepped over him, followed by magitek troops and the Emperor. He continued to cough and wheeze and clutch to his chest as he turned and tried to see where the imperials were heading. At the other side of the balcony he saw his protégé holding a trident above her, eyes rolled to the back of her head and lips moving as if chanting something voicelessly. He couldn't breathe anymore; he was choking on his own blood. Darkness fell over him like a heavy blanket-_

Noctis gasped as he was released from the most recent vision. He had seen Luna and the Emperor. She was in danger.

"Pilot, head towards the cathedral. It's the only way we can stop Leviathan."

Wordlessly the pilot flew the ship towards the cathedral.

"Prompto, the Emperor is there and so is Luna. We have to stop him before he has her killed. Follow me once you get there", and with that he summoned _Avenger_ and warpstroke to where he saw the teal and white uniformed man's lifeless body lie.

Noctis wasted no time to engage the MTs. With adrenaline pumping heavily in his veins they stood no chance as he gracefully glided and warped between his targets leaving only scrap metal in his wake.

Luna had hidden behind a pillar to avoid the bullets coming from Iedolas' revolver. She clutched her trident to her chest and pled for the Queen to come to her aid.

The cathedral shook as Leviathan emerged through the heavy watery wall of the typhoon. Her serpent eye hid the destruction of the city from their view as her enormous head appeared beside the balcony. The Emperor stiffened at the sight of the Archaean. The security guard beside him attempted to fire at the giant eye, but Leviathan merely closed her eyelid. The bullets didn't leave a scratch on her carapace like scales.

"Kill the girl! Quick!" Iedolas shouted. The guard made a run for the pillar, shotgun reloaded and ready. He reached the pillar, but Luna had already fled. The guard scanned the balcony and caught a flash of white in the corner of his eye. With his gun raised he turned to fire, but never managed to pull the trigger as he was impaled by Noctis' _Wyvern lance_.

"You fool! If we do not kill her, that monstrosity will kill all of us!"

Noctis removed his lance from the security guard's back and dismissed it. He defiantly stood between the Emperor and his fiancée.

"She doesn't need to be killed. I just need to disarm her. The trident is messing with her head."

A stream of bullets whipped around Noctis and he turned around to see the Emperor's son further away pistol in each hand. He was not much of an aimer, but he still forced Noctis to phase through the bullets. Iedolas took his chance and shot through the phasing Prince to where Lunafreya was wailing and twitching inhumanly fast as if she was possessed by a wraith. The bullet grazed her left arm, but she held fast on to her trident.

Another shot rang and the Emperor's son fell heavily on the marble floor with a bullet hole in the back of his head. Prompto emerged from the stairs gun in hand, a trail of security guards' bodies littering the floor behind him. Iedolas watched in horror as his heir was taken from him. Enraged he emptied his full clip on the freckled blonde, but Noctis warped to his defense and blocked the bullets with _Zweihander_.

The Emperor didn't have time to reload as Leviathan ripped the roof from the cathedral with her massive jaws and exposed the humans to her wrath. Noctis dismissed his weapon and hurried to Luna and tried to wrestle the trident from her. Her hands held it in a death grip and wouldn't yield it. Prompto ran to Noctis' aid, but even together they couldn't overpower her as she screeched and pled Leviathan to save her.

A loud roar boomed and shook their very bones. Prompto turned and saw Leviathan devour the Emperor along with the stone floor and couple of destroyed pillars. He yelped and tried twice as hard to remove the trident from Luna. Noctis let go of the trident and summoned his _Blood sword_.

"Noct, what are you doing?!"

Leviathan began to descend her massive jaws slowly towards the remains of the cathedral's balcony.

Noctis hit the back of Luna's head with his sword's pommel. With a sickly crunch Luna instantly went slack as unconsciousness took hold of her. Prompto pulled the trident from her hands in victory and Leviathan halted her advance as she ceased to feel Lunafreya's fear and anxiety.

Slowly the Queen of Seas rose to her full height and loomed over the destroyed city in all her majesty. The typhoon dispersed and the waves calmed down. Gradually the sea level declined. They could see the remains of the city once more.

* * *

"The storm's calming. Did Noct do it?" Gladio leaned in in the cockpit and tried to peer into the ruins of the city.

"He must have. Look, Leviathan is retreating", Ignis pointed at the massive sea serpent as she dove, her silhouette visible for few seconds before she disappeared as suddenly as she had appeared.

"Glad that's over", Gladio rubbed his face and allowed himself to relax for the first time that felt like days.

"You and me both", the pilot muttered. Gladio turned to look at the pilot as he thought he recognized the voice from somewhere.

"Hey, I know you, don't I", the pilot in question switched the ship to autopilot and allowed himself to take a good look at the tattooed man.

"Oh, hey. You're that Ferrum-guy from the flagship. The one who made me lose my card game!" Lotharius exclaimed in disbelief. "What the hell are you doing here and out of uniform – no wait, you're that crazy warrior-Lucian with the tattoos and everything." He pulled his pilot helmet off and ruffled his short black curly hair which clung to his sweaty scalp. "Never thought you'd be the same person."

Gladiolus felt nearly delirious from relief and laughed heartily. They had made it. They had survived the wrath of Leviathan of all things!

"Can't believe I'd run into you again. Thought you'd be still in the flagship on sentinel duty. Since when did you excel at piloting?"

Gentiana cleared her throat. "As exciting as your reunion must be, we best hurry to retrieve the Prince and Lady Lunafreya. I do not doubt at least one of them will require medical attention."

Lotharius saluted lazily and switched back to manual.

* * *

Lunafreya was sitting in the living room while her parents were discussing politics with the King Regis in the meeting room. Pryna sat by her feet. Luna petted the white husky absently. They were waiting.

It didn't take long for the familiar padding of paws to reach their ears.

"Umbra", Luna greeted in delight. The black and white canine wagged its tail in greeting and sat down next to its companion. Luna untied the wrap from its leg and unfolded the message.

 _Meet me outside the palace._

Their first successful dog mail. Luna beamed proudly as she petted and showered Umbra with praises. They had been practicing with the two dogs for a whole week starting with a short distance mail and gradually increasing the distance. But this time they did it without knowing where the other one was yet Umbra found her anyway! Noct would be so happy.

Luna led the two canines to the kitchen and fed them. Noctis had said he had a surprise for her and he wanted it to be just the two of them. She hurried downstairs and nearly bumped into servants as she ran to the palace entrance. At the foot of the steps she saw a familiar boy wearing traditional Lucian black. As the boy heard her shoes clack against the marble steps he turned around and grinned shyly up at her.

"Umbra found you?" he asked as he politely extended his arm just like his father had taught him. Luna took his arm and they walked to the black car parked few meters away.

"He did! And the message hadn't fallen off. You did the wrapping perfectly", Noctis' cheeks flushed lightly under her praise.

The driver opened the door to the backseats for the pair. They climbed in.

"Where to, Highness?"

"To the Pratum Meadows, please."

Luna climbed on Noctis' lap to peer outside the window. The young Prince was slowly getting accustomed to the Tenebraean's lack of concern for things such as personal space. He merely wrapped his hands around her waist to hold her steady as they watched the scenery fly by.

Thirty minutes later the driver parked the car and opened the door. Luna slid off the Prince's lap to allow him get up. Noctis stood and turned around to offer his hand for her. He pulled her gently to her feet just like he had seen his father do for his mother a year ago.

The driver closed the door and informed them he would be waiting by the car. Hand in hand the two children ran to the meadows to uncover Noctis' secret. A thin layer of fog hung over the fields, but Luna could see something in the distance.

"Noct? Is that a barn?" she pointed at a lone run-down building by the forest's edge.

"Yeah, that's where we're going. C'mon."

Luna took off in a sprint unexpectedly. Noctis stumbled after her, his still healing leg not quite ready for such extreme exercising. They reached the barn. It was sealed shut, but there was a small hole on one of the walls; just big enough for the two of them to crawl inside. It was dim inside, but not completely dark as tiny beams of light shone in between the planks' slits. The barn smelled strongly of dry hay. The floor was completely covered in it and in the middle there was a huge pile of it, enough to tower over the two children.

"Welcome to my secret place", Noctis announced.

"This is so cool. Does nobody else know about it?"

"Nope!" Noctis smiled proudly. "It's been abandoned for years. Nobody cares about it", he lowered his voice, suddenly feeling shy. "But I do."

Luna smiled. "I like it, too. Especially all this hay." She let go of his hand and began to climb, Noctis not far behind. They laughed in delight as they reached the top and jumped and slid down, the hay softening their fall. Their antics didn't go unnoticed by the barn's resident dweller.

A sudden flap of wings startled the kids. Luna yelped and shut her eyes as a crow flew over her head, its feathers brushing her scalp as it passed. With a loud caw the bird flew to a hole on the roof and disappeared.

Luna opened her eyes and noticed she was hugging the flustered Prince.

"Sorry."

Noctis' arms were around her protectively. "I-it's okay. I'll protect you. I promise."

Noctis swore the Tenebraean's eyes twinkled as she whispered: "I'll protect you, too."

* * *

Luna blinked blearily as light shone into her eyes. She shielded her eyes and grunted in discontent. Whose bright idea was it to leave the blinders up when she was trying to sleep?

Wait a minute.

She was always the one to get up before the sun. Since when did she sleep so late? Was she hungover? What _had_ she been up to last night?

"Hey", a familiar husky voice pulled her from her speculations. She lifted her arm from her eyes. The first thing she noticed was that said arm was wrapped in a bandage.

"Hey", she croaked weakly and met Noctis' warm blue gaze.

"How're you feeling?" He took her hand in his and stroked her knuckles with his thumb.

"Like I've been run over by a truck." Her fiancé chuckled lightly.

"It'll get better, I promise."

She made no effort to get up from the comfortable bed. Noctis continued to caress her hand, lost in thought. Her eyelids drooped. Stifling a yawn she forced her heavy eyelids to stay open.

"What happened? Must've been quite the party."

The Prince's brows creased. "You don't remember?"

Luna shrugged. "Not really. Just vague images here and there, nothing coherent." She sighed and rubbed her eyes with her free hand. "Where are we?"

"At a motel near Solheim border."

"And the others?"

"They're safe, just enjoying a meal downstairs. I can bring you something if you like?" Luna closed her eyes, her batteries drained far faster than she expected.

"No, thank you. I think I'll sleep a little longer."

"Okay", he let go of her hand and kissed her forehead. She fell into a deep dreamless sleep.

* * *

Later that night Luna woke up. She scanned her room, but Noctis wasn't there. Gentiana's familiar figure stood further away as she looked outside the window.

"I remember now."

Gentiana turned towards the blonde.

"I remember now", Luna repeated. "Everything. The Emperor, the Chancellor, Leviathan", her voice lowering with each recollection. "The destruction. All those deaths. So many souls, so many lights", she stared hollowly at her lap and at the bandage on her arm. The bullet the Emperor had shot at her. Somehow she had managed to barely dodge it.

"It is not your fault", Gentiana sat down at the edge of her bed.

"Of course it is! It was _my_ idea to reach out for the Queen. _I_ lost control. And because of me… Millions of people just", she choked on the last word "Gone."

Gentiana pulled her to a comforting embrace. She stroked her back and whispered in her ear. "Ignis found out the Chancellor had infused the trident with something mind altering. You weren't yourself, it could have happened to any of us."

"Only I could summon Leviathan", she sniffled and tried to fight the tears.

Gentiana didn't push the matter and simply held the distraught woman in her arms.

Luna knew they wouldn't understand. They hadn't experience what she had. The way her memories and feelings to even her closest friends had warped into something terrible and revolting. How could she look Noctis in the eye when mere hours back she had accused him of taking advantage of her in the privacy of her mind?

Obviously, he never did such a thing. Even after sharing a tent for months nothing indecent ever happened between them. And for that Luna was grateful. But somehow in her confused state of mind she had conjured up false memories of him and warped existing ones into something they weren't.

She was beyond disgusted with herself and by her weakness.

"Back home you said if I could live with the death of ten million people", Gentiana stiffened. She knew where this was going. "I can't live with the death of a single person resulting from my actions."

* * *

Noctis sat by the light of his table lamp. His eyes were glued on the local newspaper article. He had read it several times. Few sentences kept circling in his mind and he was unable to shut them out.

 _Newly crowned Emperor found dead._

 _Iedolas Aldercapt disappeared._

 _Chancellor Ardyn Izunia brands Crown Prince of Lucis guilty of kidnapping and brainwashing the Princess of Tenebrae._

 _Million Altissian civilians dead._

 _2,5 million injured civilians._

 _Collateral damage beyond calculations._

 _Chancellor Ardyn Izunia uses emergency powers to take up the Emperor's crown._

Noctis tossed the newspaper to a waste bin.

Gentiana might have succeeded in one thing. The Emperor was no more. But now their enemy was someone much worse. Someone far more cunning and less prone to vanity.

* * *

 _A/N: And that concludes chapter 12. There won't be anymore action+drama chapters like this, only fluff to soothe my soul. x'D_

 _(Couldn't stay away from the punny titles.)_

 _I guess corrupted crystal equals Confusion status effect, lolol. Also, poor Tenebraean bodyguards. They didn't get their time to shine. Just went splat. Guess that's Tenebrae's military in a nutshell._


	16. Close yet so far

Title: Close yet so far  
Genre: Friendship, angst  
Summary: A look into Noctis' childhood after Lunafreya leaves Insomnia and before he befriends Prompto. Last scene happens just before first chapter.

 **Chapter 13: Close yet so far**

"Any mail yet?"

The eight-year-old prince inquired as Ignis helped a correspondence manager sort the recently received stack of mail. He wriggled his hands impatiently and stood up on his toes to peek over the older boy's shoulder. Even at the tender age of ten Ignis was a good head taller than the short prince.

"Give it time, Highness. The Fleurets left only two days ago."

Noctis snatched a handful of envelopes from his future advisor's hands. "She promised she'd write to me the second she got home." He leafed through the stolen papers but couldn't find his name or the familiar handwriting of the Fleurets' only daughter. Glumly he handed the envelopes back to Ignis and shuffled out of the office with his hands stuffed in his pockets.

Ignis set down the letters and followed the prince.

"Noct", he began. He always addressed the prince by his title when in the presence of others, but when it was just the two of them he would drop the act and address him by his given nickname. "She has probably yet to arrive home. Besides, the mail will take a few days to arrive."

Noctis kept his gaze focused on the tips of his sneakers. "How long do you think it'll take?"

"A week, I would imagine."

Ignis adjusted his newly bought glasses. Noctis thought they made him look older than he really was. That coupled with his smart attire – a white dress shirt, black vest and dress pants – height and his polite mannerism made him appear as the closest thing to an adult Noctis could confide in.

King Regis rarely had the time of the day to humour his son or spend badly needed quality time with him. Noctis had wanted to play football ever since Luna had told him how boys of her age spent every break in school playing it. It wasn't a common sport in Lucis, but Noctis had gone to his father and requested for a football. He had been so happy when his father actually bought him a real life football. But what he had really wanted was his father to play with him. Noctis still had the untouched football sitting by his desk.

Along with Ignis, Noctis had Gladiolus as his closest friend. His future bodyguard was away for few months to train basic survival under Cor, somewhere in Leide last he heard.

It had been merely two days since the prince had held hands with the twelve-year-old Tenebraean princess, laughing and promising to write each other every day.

A whole week.

It would be a very long and lonely week.

* * *

Seven days later there was a knock on Noctis' private chambers' door.

"Enter", he mustered as much regality with his child's voice as he could to the single command.

A middle-aged female servant opened the door and curtsied politely. "You have a visitor, your Highness." Noctis was instantly on his feet, eager to have someone to play or talk with.

Umbra's familiar snout appeared in the doorway. Once the dog had walked inside the servant took her leave with a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. It had been days since the young prince's usually solemn face had stretched into a wide grin.

"Umbra! You came all the way here from Tenebrae?"

The husky rose on its hind legs and licked Noctis' face, tail wagging excitedly.

"H-hey! Down, boy! You must be starved from your long journey."

Together the boy and the dog sneaked into the kitchen. Meal time was still few hours away and the kitchen had only minimal staff members making preparations. Once the prince was sure the coast was clear, he took several slabs of meat from the fridge and piled them on a plate. He hid the plate and continued to crouch to stay out of sight. He found a suitable container and waited until one of the staff members switched on the dish machine. Under the cover of its noise he took the container and filled it with cold water by the sink. Balancing the meat in one hand and the water in the other he hurried back to his room Umbra in tow and locked the door.

Once Umbra was suitably fed Noctis focused on the small cloth wrapped around the canine's foreleg. Carefully he removed it and straightened the small piece of paper. His heart hammered, butterflies fluttered wildly in the pit of his stomach and his hands began to sweat as he recognized the familiar elegant script.

 _He's yours, Noct. Take good care of him and he'll take good care of you. –L_

Noctis blinked once. Twice.

Luna was giving Umbra to _him_? He read the short message over and over. But sure enough the message remained the same and he hadn't imagined anything. He had to tell his father!

"C'mon, boy!" he called to his new companion and off they ran to his father's study. Noctis nearly slipped and fell as he rushed across the corridors in excitement. Umbra didn't fare much better as its clawed paws slid on the slippery parquet. The study was empty. Maybe he was in the meeting room?

They went in such a hurry that the secretary stationed at the desk outside the meeting room didn't have time to stop them. The meeting room's door was closed. Noctis slowed down and crept to the door and pressed his ear against it. His grin fell when he heard men talking inside. King Regis was busy – again.

"I'm sorry, your Highness. The King has left strict instructions not to be disturbed for the next few hours", the secretary gently guided the distraught prince away from the door. "Do you want me to summon your caretaker?"

"No." Noctis shrugged her hands off him. He was about to bolt, but halted when he remembered how his father always told him to behave around the palace employees. "No, thank you." He corrected himself and bowed his head politely before hurrying outside to the palace gardens.

They arrived by a pond. Its other side was surrounded by trees and bushes. Noctis made sure to choose that side as he didn't want to be found. He huddled by the pond's edge and poked the surface with a dry branch. Umbra lay down next to him, enjoying a light breeze that ruffled its fur. Noctis was sure the dog would prefer the climate here compared to the heat of Tenebrae. He shuffled further into the tree's shade when he heard two palace employees walk close by.

The palace was full of people; servants, butlers, housekeepers, guards, curators, flagmen, correspondence managers, gravel cleaners, heads of departments, administrative officials and clerical staff, even tour guides during certain seasons… Yet Noctis felt so _alone_. The only people that truly mattered to him were always busy or away training to serve him. Why couldn't they train serving him here where he was right now?

Noctis picked up a flat stone and threw it to the pond. It bounced two times before sinking.

He attended a public school. There he was revered like a celebrity by fellow students. They would bombard him with ridiculous questions on a daily basis. None of them cared about _him_ just what he _was_. He left the school premises every lunch break and hid by an old construction site. There he would just stand and wait for the school bell to chime. He was no less lonely in the school surrounded by his peers than he was in the palace surrounded by people whose very livelihood was to serve him.

But now he had Umbra.

Noctis turned to the resting canine and let his small hand glide across its shaggy black fur. The dog made no movement in acknowledgement besides the wagging of its tail.

"Do you think I should write to Luna?" He pondered aloud. Truthfully Noctis had expected a longer letter from her. Maybe something along the lines that she had fun and maybe an invitation for him to come visit her homeland. But he knew from the week of training with Luna and the two huskies that the dogs couldn't carry big letters without them wrinkling to the point of being illegible or becoming wet or even falling off from the tight cloth wrapping.

Still he couldn't have asked for a more pleasant surprise. Not only had he gotten the promised letter from Luna, he had also gotten a companion. Someone who didn't care that he was a prince or didn't feel obligated to put up with him because it was their job, someone who unconditionally loved him and put his needs above everything else.

The prince got up with new purpose and jogged to his quarters. He didn't need to even order his new companion to follow; the moment its new master made a move to get up it was following closely, ears perked at attention.

Noctis settled down at his desk. He piled his study books to the other side and took out his favourite pencil. He tapped the pencil's skull shaped eraser against his chin in thought.

'Dear Luna', he began writing slowly in his best handwriting. He stared at the two words long and hard before groaning and turning his pencil upside down to destroy the evidence of his sappiness.

'Hi, Luna'. Okay, that was less cheesy. He could roll with that.

'Thanks for giving Umbra to me. I promise I'll take very good care of him. He will be my best friend.' He halted and scratched his head in thought. Again his eraser removed his carefully written message.

A knock on his door interrupted his work. Umbra stood up and let out a short bark.

"Highness?" It was Ignis. Noctis hurried to his door and unlocked it. The older boy entered, confusion dancing in his serious eyes as Umbra circled around him sniffing him all over.

"When did you get a dog?" Ignis stood stiffly and watched the canine warily while Noctis closed his door.

"It's Luna's dog. Well, actually, now he's mine. She gave him to me. He walked all the way from Tenebrae to deliver me a letter from Luna", Noctis explained, words jumbling as he chattered excitedly.

"Quite the distance. Surprised he made it so far", Ignis noted. He sat next to the prince and carefully lowered his hand to pat the dog on the head. "He looks bit of a mess. I should go wash him. We don't have any dog brush, do we", it was more of a statement than a question. He looked around Noctis' room. "And I see you have no food or water bowel. Where is he sleeping?"

Rest of the evening went figuring all the arrangements concerning the family's newest addition. It wasn't until the next day that King Regis even heard of his son's newest pet.

* * *

A year later Lunafreya was sitting in the study rehearsing her latest lesson when a handmaiden opened the door to allow Pryna to stroll inside. Luna set down her book and greeted her white canine companion. Dutifully the dog sat down while Luna fetched a treat as a reward for the delivery.

"Did you bring me something?" The blonde removed the wrapping from the husky's foreleg and read the message while Pryna dined on the leftovers from the family's previous meal.

 _Umbra and I began to play football. Wish you were here to teach us how to play it properly. Miss you. –N_

The last part of the message had been erased and rewritten several times. He had clearly had some trouble deciding whether he wanted to keep it in the message. She suspected he had intended to leave it out, but hadn't been able to completely erase it and had then admitted defeat and just gone with it.

Smiling, Luna added the slip of paper to a special journal she kept. It was filled with memories of her time in Insomnia ranging from _Somnus_ ' sheet music to diary-like entries where she recalled her time with Noctis. She had attached the young prince's every letter and dog mail between its covers.

She knew Noctis had Ignis to help him write the longer 'official' letters that he sent by proper mail. It was the dog mail that was close and personal – even if he couldn't go into detail with the amount of space he had available. Noctis had admitted in his letters that he didn't allow anyone to read the dog mail. It was only for their eyes. They had even come up with a certain way to bind the slip of paper with a cloth that only they knew how to do. That way they would instantly know if someone had been snooping on their privacy.

Luna eyed some of the previous dog mail messages.

 _I wish we went to the same school. I don't like my classmates._

 _I had something Ignis called a growth spurt. I wonder if I'm taller than you yet._

 _I went to our special place in the meadows. It's not the same without you._

Her heart ached with each letter. That boy was so lonely. His father was always busy managing the country on his own as well as keeping up the enchanted barrier surrounding the crown city. Noctis didn't have siblings, his cousin had passed away just the year before and he had no friends in school. She could only hope that things would change for the better when he would enter high school. Umbra was the only company she could offer him. She would write him as often as she could to offer him a meager comfort and remind him that he wasn't as utterly alone as he felt.

She would let Pryna rest for a few days before writing her reply.

* * *

Ten-year-old Noctis stood outside the school waiting for Ignis and the driver to come pick him up. His class had ended earlier than normal because of the sudden news; Tenebrae had been invaded by Niflheim. The boy didn't fully understand what it all meant, but he was sick with worry. Umbra had left to Tenebrae just over a week ago to deliver his most recent letter to Luna.

What if Umbra wouldn't be able to make it? What if there wasn't anybody to even receive the letter? What if Luna was taken, or worse, _killed_?

His thoughts went in circles. Soon his body followed and he began to pace restlessly. He glanced at the clock on the school wall.

Still fifteen minutes before Ignis would arrive.

Sighing, the prince leaned his back against a lamp post. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the familiar black and white fur gleam in the evening sun.

"Umbra!" he hurried to meet the dog midway. "Thank Etro you're alive! I was so worried", Noctis babbled, his eyes shining with fresh tears. He quickly blinked them away and kneeled in front of the husky. Sniffling he unwrapped the cloth and unfolded Luna's message.

 _Father speaks of the Empire making a move to invade Tenebrae. The imperials gather outside our borders. I fear for the worst. –L_

It was the last message he received from her.

* * *

Years later when he saw Lunafreya's beautiful – and mature, so much older than he remembered her – face appear on the television he felt joy at seeing his childhood friend was safe. But as his eyes trailed over her pale complexion and her hard icy eyes he felt all joy drain from him.

Now it was her who was alone. And he had no way of reaching her when imperials kept intercepting all the letters. Time and time again he sent her letters both by regular mail and attached to Umbra. By the third time Umbra returned with his letter still attached to its leg Noctis knew that it was hopeless.

* * *

When Noctis, Prompto, Ignis and Gladiolus arrived to Altissia, Noctis could barely recognize his dear friend. Gone was the easy smile that lit up her whole face and made him feel welcome and wanted. She had built strong walls around herself and let no-one in.

As they sat in Regalia and drove off far away from imperial controlled cities Noctis tentatively let his hand fall over his betrothed's. She pulled away as if she had been burnt. She refused to meet his inquiring eyes and kept her gaze strictly on the road ahead. He was at a loss on how to approach her.

Ignis had comforted him and told him to take it slowly and give her time. She had most likely been through a lot with the loss of her parents, country and friends. Noctis should know; he had lost much as well – even if he wasn't present during Insomnia's fall. Ignis suspected she had suffered through some sort of trauma as well, but he wouldn't reveal his suspicions deeming it not his business to meddle in her personal affairs.

Noctis watched as Lunafreya entered her tent. Not only did she insist on sleeping in a separate tent, she had to put the tent to the other side of the campfire.

He hadn't been physically so close to her in many long years yet he felt he was further apart from her than ever.

* * *

 _A/N: I needed to write some friendship fluff and address Noct's lonely childhood before Prompto came to save the day in high school. It turned quite angsty, but never fear! For the next chapter will be humour! I actually started the humour-chapter before this one, but kinda lost the plot midway and decided to write this one first._

 _I guess I also wanted point out how much Luna and Noct's friendship (and romantic relationship, I suppose) has evolved since chapter 1._


	17. Drinks and high heels

Title: Drinks and high heels  
Genre: Humor, romance  
Summary: The quintet take a break in Lestallium to enjoy the festivities.

 **Chapter 14: Drinks and high heels**

Noctis twirled a curled straw idly in his half-empty glass of gin and tonic. Prompto's untouched glass of piña colada stood next to his. The blonde in question was busy chatting up a tanned beauty at the bar counter. Half-heartedly the dark haired man took a small gulp of his drink and grimaced. Had he known that Prompto's attention would be elsewhere Noctis might have actually ordered something less bitter and more befitting his sweet-tooth. Alas, his masculine pride often took the better of him.

The ice had long since melted in Prompto's drink and the liquid threatened to overflow. Deeming it his civic duty Noctis put his straw into his friend's drink and emptied a third of it.

 _Much better._

Ten minutes later and Prompto still didn't seem to remember his best friend's existence. Not that Noctis really blamed him – they didn't get many chances to chat with the opposite sex (excluding his betrothed, of course) when they were always on the move. And it's not like the two friends didn't see each other from dawn to dusk each and every day. Noctis sighed.

 _Screw it._

Noctis switched their drinks, all the while keeping a wary eye on the blonde. He finished the drink as slowly as he possibly could. Both to get rid of the horrible aftertaste of gin as well as to stall as much as he could. Nothing quite as pathetic as a lone man with an empty glass staring daggers at his best friend's back.

Gladio had run off to the beach. Noctis turned in his seat. He could just about see him among other shirtless men clad in swimming trunks playing volleyball. Next to them stood a group of females in bikinis, ohh'ing and ahh'ing whenever appropriate.

Noctis leaned on his fist, his mouth and cheek stretching unattractively as he did.

Even Ignis and Luna had left him. The two of them seemed to get along together well. So well, in fact, that Luna had somehow managed to talk Ignis into helping her find a suitable dress for the Night of Art -festival later that evening. Prompto had been very vocal about extending their stay by at least one day to be able to enjoy authentic Lestallumian festivities. To his surprise Luna had been the first person to back him up. It didn't take long for Gladio to cave in as well.

"Careful, your face might turn that way permanently."

"Didn't work on me when I was eight. Certainly won't work on me now", Noctis smirked and made no move to fix his slouched posture.

Lunafreya sat on Prompto's vacant seat. She took the unfinished glass of gin and tonic and sniffed it.

"Couldn't finish it?" she smiled crookedly as she twirled the glass.

"That's Prompto's", he pushed his empty piña colada glass forward for emphasis.

"Liar."

Noctis raised his other brow in challenge. "Oh yeah?"

"I've been around you four long enough to know that Prompto's not into gin. He's more of a cuba libre type of person."

Huffing, Noctis straightened up and crossed his arms defiantly.

"So what?"

"So you won't mind if I finish this for you?"

Mutely he shook his head and watched in fascination as his fiancée emptied the glass in one swig.

"Much appreciated", Luna set down the glass and wiped the corners of her mouth daintily.

Noctis offered a small smile in return. Seeing as Luna wasn't about to comment on his 'sissy' drink, he removed the slice of pineapple from Prompto's glass and popped it to his mouth before casually turning around in his seat to check the two men's statuses. Prompto had disappeared from the bar counter. After few seconds of searching, his sharp eyes found the blonde at the beach with the tanned woman. The woman was lying down on her stomach on a towel while Prompto was smearing sunscreen on her back. He looked like he was on cloud nine.

Gladio had left the volleyball game and had picked up a surfboard. He was paddling towards the waves. Luna followed the prince's gaze to the sea.

"That man is a daredevil", she shook her head in astonishment as Gladio lost his balance and fell. The pair didn't have time to even begin feeling worried as the tattooed man emerged, took hold of his board and made it for the waves again. "But he never gives up, I'll give him that much." Noctis grunted in agreement and turned back to face his companion.

"So, where did you leave Ignis?"

"He insisted on taking the bags to the hotel room", Luna shrugged. "I suspect he's not a fan of the heat."

"Bags?" Noctis' stared at his betrothed as if he was seeing an alien. Maybe he was. He was slightly clueless when it came to women – at least according to his three friends, anyway. Then again he had barely had any females in his life so there was a small possibility that they were correct. "How much shopping did you two do, exactly?"

"We didn't _just_ get me festival garments", she eyed him amusedly. "We had to get groceries, too. How else are we to survive the next few days if we don't have our coffee stock sorted?"

Noctis slouched over again, his palm muffling his grumbling. " _You two are made for each other._ "

"I heard that."

* * *

Later that evening the quintet had gathered together and made their way to the plaza. Prompto was nearly skipping with excitement. His underprivileged commoner background left him little chance to see the world outside Insomnia, even less to experience foreign celebrations.

"Prompto, I saw you fawning over that hottie at the beach. Didn't get her to come?" Gladio nudged the shorter man's side as they walked.

"Her flight back home leaves within an hour", the blonde didn't skip a beat. "But I got her number! And guess what; she lives at the Leide border. Not impossibly far from Insomnia." He grinned proudly.

"Ah, so a long distance relationship where the distance is manageable." None of them dared to mention the sorry state of Insomnia and how none of them would be returning home before the imperials were dealt with.

"Yup!" Prompto's grin took a sly turn. "And if you ever manage to get Cindy's attention we could go on a double date. Hammerhead's a stone's throw away from where she lives."

Noctis hid his smirk by pretending to cough while Luna took a sudden fascination in the evening lights as Gladio sputtered. Ignis had mastered his poker face far beyond the capabilities of mortal men long time ago.

"I don't know about you, but I'm dying for some street food", Gladio hurried to the end of a line trailing towards a tent.

Noctis was about to shout something shrewd to embarrass his bodyguard further, but was yanked by the sleeve.

"Noct, check this out!" Noctis didn't miss the displeased crease on his advisor's forehead as Prompto unceremoniously pulled him to a street vendor's stand. The merchant's table was covered in wooden figures made to the likeness of local fauna. While they were masterfully carved and painted, none of the regular animals and monsters really caught his interest. The prince's eyes settled on a nasty looking creature that was standing away from the more popular figures. He recognized the nocturnal monster from his geography classes. He could barely contain his grin.

"One of those, please", he fished gil out of his coat's pocket.

Prompto set down two wooden chocobos he had been admiring to check what his friend had purchased.

"Really? An imp?"

Noctis quickly hid his souvenir in his back pocket.

"What of it?"

"You're gonna put that next to Ignis while he sleeps or something?" Prompto's face lit up in mischievous glee.

"Nah. It just reminds me of someone." He backed away from the stand and left Prompto to ponder over his cryptic words.

Noctis joined Gladio who was stuffing his face with a dish he introduced as hash. Chopped pieces of potato and sausage disappeared from the plate whenever Gladio's gaze wandered away from his food. The two continued to walk past the different stands until they saw the familiar figures of Ignis and Luna by an outdoor bar.

"Find anything to your liking?" the corners of Luna's down-turned eyes crinkled in amusement as she noticed the grease stain on her fiancé's jaw.

"Uh-huh."

Gladio finished his plate and cast a forlorn look back towards the street food tent. "A full plate and still I feel hungry. These foreign culinarians don't know how to make filling food."

"Must be the lack of proper home-bred garula. Foreigners and their diet meats", Luna's face was carefully neutral as it always was when she delivered a joke. Only the slight twitch at the corner of her lips and the delight in her cerulean eyes betrayed her humour. Noctis fingered the wooden figure hidden in his pocket.

 _Yup. Definitely reminds of her._

"Might be a scam. Tastes good and isn't filling. Clearly a market plot to have people buy second rounds", Noctis couldn't help adding.

Ignis had clearly caught on what had really happened, but acted ignorant to let the couple have their private joke. "Why don't you go get a second plate? In fact, bring two while you're at it. I believe Lady Lunafreya mentioned she had a craving for it." He cast a knowing look towards Noctis who discreetly wiped the oily evidence off his chin.

"Might as well. I'll round up Prompto, too. Can't have him get lost in the crowd."

They watched as the tall man disappeared into the masses.

"Since we're here, we might as well settle down and order ourselves something to quench thirst", Ignis proposed.

"Excellent idea", Luna agreed and pulled few more chairs to a small table for Gladio and Prompto.

"What would you like to have, Highness?"

Noctis weighed his options for a moment, but decided he wasn't ready to drop his cool act. "Mojito."

Luna's slender brow rose, but she didn't comment. Instead she turned to Ignis and casually ordered a daiquiri.

Ignis walked to the bar counter to place his order. By the time he returned with their drinks Prompto and Gladio had returned with two additional plates of hash. Luna had yet to touch hers.

"Noct, look what I got us!" The prince recognized the two wooden chocobos the blonde had been fingering earlier.

"Us?"

"Yeah, this black one is clearly you and this yellow one is me."

A small smile tugged the prince's lips as he took the offered figure from his best friend.

"Wait a minute", he turned the figure over and inspected it. "This one's female."

"Suits you perfectly then", Gladio grinned.

"I hate you two", Noctis huffed and raised his glass of mojito to his lips. He mentally braced himself, but was pleasantly surprised when the sweet blend of rum, honey and lemon invaded his taste buds.

His gaze darted to Luna who nonchalantly sipped on his stolen mojito. She had even taken the slice of lime from her daiquiri and placed it on his mojito glass to make it seem like their drinks hadn't been switched.

She pushed her plate of hash Gladio had gotten for her towards him. "Noct, there's so much food on this plate, why don't we share?" She offered her fork to him. He gratefully accepted it.

Noctis felt like he was an open book that she was reading effortlessly. He wondered if this was what it was like to have a matrimonial partner to rely on; someone who knew him inside out and would save his dignity even when in company of friends. The idea of having Luna as his wife wasn't nearly as intimidating as he had initially thought.

He had always liked her. He even had a crush on her for the longest time that seemed to only swell each day he spent in her company. But at the same time he had always been a little intimidated by her. She was older and more mature. Sometimes she seemed to be beyond his reach; too far above him in both experience and station. She was the figurehead that her people looked up to. She had spent every day fighting Niflheim without weapons or words ever since the invasion. It was silent unspoken warfare and it had hardened her. Yet she shouldered the burden without complaints and with dignity. He wasn't sure if he could do the same if their roles were reversed.

But she had finally begun to relax and have fun with the four men without putting up a cool polite front. He really liked it. The more he thought about it, the more he felt like the imp figure in his pocket was appropriate for her. She was still the same mischievous little girl he had become attached with underneath that hardened – sometimes even scary – mask of hers.

"Hey-hey! Easy there, Prince Charmless. I didn't get that for you", Gladio pulled the plate from him and pushed it back to its original place in front of Luna.

Luna smiled apologetically and took the fork from the dazed prince to take few bites before discreetly pushing the plate back towards him while Gladio's attention was occupied.

Etro, he loved her.

* * *

Lively music was coming from a nearby stage. Luna was absently rocking to it, the hem of her knee-length dress swaying gently around her toned legs. Prompto and Gladio had gone to try their hand at nearby carnival games while Ignis was looking through a local art gallery set up next to the vendors. Noctis had been itching to follow the two men and make sure they didn't break his high score, but as he watched his betrothed tap her heeled foot to the beat of the song he felt a tug at his heart to remain where he was.

He recalled from their childhood letter exchanges that she liked to dance. Apparently her mother had allowed Lunafreya to take fencing classes as long as she attended to dancing classes. At first she wasn't very happy with this arrangement, but her father had encouraged her and told her to think of dancing as a form of fencing. If she was to master all forms of fencing, she should master dancing as well. With that in mind Luna begun to enjoy music and dancing and think of it as more than just steps of _one-two-three one-two-three_.

She had even once expressed in one of her letters that she was hoping he would dance with her once they were both old enough to stand on equal footing. He had been a good head shorter than her when she was visiting Insomnia with her parents. A fact that didn't bother him in the slightest at the time, but as time passed and he developed a crush on the Tenebraean he became very conscious about the obvious age difference between the two of them. He had been very envious of Ignis' and Gladiolus' heights, but had momentarily forgotten about it when he befriended Prompto who was roughly the same height as him. They were now both adults. He wouldn't have to worry about her outgrowing him.

She had been doting on him indirectly all night. He owed her at least one dance.

As he walked next to her and prepared to ask her for a dance, he noted something was very off. Something he should've noticed earlier.

She was taller than him.

Not by much, only 4cm at most.

But _still_.

Luna turned to him. Her content smile slowly faded as she noticed he was glaring at the top of her head.

"Noct? What is it?"

He snapped back to attention and wiped the dissatisfied frown from his face in a blink of an eye.

"Nothing, nothing!" He held his hands up defensively. Realizing he was acting even more suspicious he quickly dropped his hands and awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "Just trying to think how to ask you for a dance."

"I believe you just did", her smile was contagious. She offered her small hand and allowed him to pull her to the dance floor.

As much as he tried to ignore her obvious superior height he couldn't keep the frown from emerging on his face. He was so used to being on eye level with her and not having to look up or down at her. The last thing he wanted was to feel unworthy and inferior to her.

"You're supposed to be having fun."

"I am having fun", he insisted.

"Your face is doing a good job not showing it." He forcefully stretched his lips to a fake smile. It didn't take long for it to grow into a genuine smile as he couldn't help but mirror Luna's joy. She was positively glowing.

 _When I'll be King I'll make a decree to ban all heels. No, wait. That's too harsh. I'll only ban the Queen from wearing any heels._

"There you go again."

"What?"

"Frowning."

His frown deepened. "Am not."

They stopped dancing. She pulled her hand from his and studied him in silence. His gaze was pulled to her shoes as if by a magnet. His lips stretched into a thin unhappy line.

"You know what. These heels are killing my feet", she unstrapped her shoes and kicked them to the side. "Hope you don't mind."

The frown instantly disappeared. All was back to the way it was supposed to be. "Not at all." He kneeled over and took off his boots and threw them next to her shoes. He wasn't about to risk stepping on her bare feet.

He felt the familiar weight of her hand settle on his shoulder. If her movement was slightly shy and hesitant, he didn't comment on it.

His hand in turn circled her waist. If his hand trembled slightly from the excitement of touching her so intimately, she didn't comment on it.

Their free hands interlaced. Even if both of them knew they were supposed to hold hands instead, neither of them commented on it.

If anyone in the crowd noticed that Luna was leading instead of Noctis, they didn't comment on it.

His gaze was glued on her flushed face. Tiny beads of sweat were beginning to form on her forehead, but her cerulean eyes twinkled in merriment and her uncensored smile warmed his heart.

* * *

Ignis watched as the young couple ended their dance and applauded the band before moving to fetch their discarded shoes. He had been discreetly guarding them in case any youngsters got foolish ideas to steal them. He expected the couple to return to the main street with the vendors to find the rest of their group and was surprised when Noctis grabbed his fiancée's hand and walked away from the crowd.

What was he up to this time?

Sighing, Ignis took his phone and sent a brief text to Gladiolus to let him know he'd be trailing after the prince. He almost lost the couple in the sea of colourfully clothed people, but managed to catch the sight of Lunafreya's high ponytail before they disappeared from his sight. He hurried to the last known position and saw them further away step on an escalator. To his amusement Lunafreya made Noctis step on first so she could take the step behind him and make him appear to be taller than her. He seemed mighty pleased with her courtesy and rewarded her with a chaste kiss on her forehead that was suitably next to his chin.

Ignis' brows rose and he adjusted his glasses to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

His Highness was actually daring to do more than 'accidently' brush fingers or lightly touch her shoulder or back. If Prompto was here he would have recorded the whole thing.

Ignis liked to think he was better than that.

He deleted the video and pocketed his phone before continuing to trail after them from a distance.

* * *

"Where are you taking me?"

"It's getting dark. They're releasing the paper lanterns soon", Noctis continued to gently pull her along. "Thought this would be a good spot to look at them."

They were far from the hustle and bustle of the plaza. The only lights were few dim lamps on the ground level lighting the garden patches. They found a bench and sat down to wait.

"Had fun tonight?" His voice was low and husky, shyness threatening to overcome his recently found confidence.

"I haven't had this much fun since I visited you in Insomnia", Luna admitted. Noctis let out a contented hum as he scouted the black skies for lanterns. Not finding any, he leaned back and was reminded of the wooden imp figure in his back pocket as it pressed uncomfortably against him.

"Oh, hey, Luna. I got you something." She turned to face him curiously as he pulled the figure from his pocket and placed it in her hand. "It reminded me of you."

She stared at the imp's skeletal figure, yellow glowy eyes and razor sharp teeth. "This is the most hideous thing I've ever seen."

"You like it?"

"Love it", she grinned and turned it around in her hand. She peered at a small text at bottom of the figure. "'Made in Accordo?'"

Noctis hurriedly pulled the black chocobo Prompto had given him and sure enough found the same text on his. "Should've known", he grumbled.

Luna giggled. Noctis perked and couldn't help grinning in return.

A faint light illuminated their faces. They turned to face it and saw a green paper lantern slowly rise.

"I once had a Lestallumian handmaiden. She used to tell me of these lanterns and how they are powered by synthesized wind and fire spells. That is how they rise above the clouds and how the flame stays lit", the Tenebraean murmured.

Soon the sky was filled with dozens of lanterns in different shades of green with yellow designs.

"Should we call the others over? Wouldn't want them to miss this."

Noctis tentatively put his arm around her shoulder. "Not yet", he swallowed heavily. "I'd like it to be just us. For now."

Luna held the wooden imp in her other hand and placed her other arm around the prince's waist.

"I'd like that", she laid her head on his shoulder.

Noctis rested his cheek against the blonde crown of her head, not bothering to cover the happy sigh that escaped him.

Together they watched the lanterns soar.

* * *

"500gil they'll kiss", Prompto whispered to his companions.

"No way they will", Gladio shook his head. "Noct requires several pep talks before he can muster courage to get his groove on any ladies."

"She's not any lady, though. They're engaged."

" _Even so_. I'm with Gladio on this one. His Highness is too timid to make such bold moves on Lady Lunafreya. Give it few weeks", Ignis turned his attention to the floating lanterns.

Prompto took out his camera and made sure to take off the flash before taking pictures of the scene before him. If Noctis found out he'd be mad, but he was sure that in few years he'd be grateful that he had recorded such a sweet scene of the couple leaning against each other and the starry sky with last few lanterns floating above them.

* * *

 _A/N: Hey, guess what! I don't know anything about drinks, either. Had to do some thorough Googling and Skype galluping on this one, haha!_

 _Sorry if there's million mistakes and typos. All of my unwilling English helpers are hiding._


	18. Pocket Prompto

Title: Pocket Prompto  
Genre: Humor, friendship  
Summary: A chocobo hunt goes wrong. Prompto has to put his trust in his fellow blonde to save his dignity.

 **Chapter 15: Pocket Prompto**

Lunafreya carefully pushed leaves aside and peered through the small gap to eye on her target. She glanced to her right where she saw Prompto readying his gun, filled with a single tranquilizer dart. Luna grimaced and shook her head wondering how the freckled man had managed to talk her over to join him on such inane antics. Their prey was a wild black chocobo. The young bird was at its physical peak; its glossy feathers implied good health and its strong nimble legs promised great speed.

The next day was August 30th, Noctis' birthday. Lunafreya hadn't thought much of it. She hadn't celebrated her birthday since Vesper's death. He had insisted on bringing her sylleblossoms every year and helped her make a flower crown out of them. She dared to wear it only when retiring to bed and let the flowers' sweet aroma lull her to dreamless sleep. She had truly treasured those rare moments of peace, free from the waking nightmare and the constant unnerving presence of Leviathan.

Prompto wanted to make Noctis' 21th birthday special. After all the tragedy and doom and gloom that had happened, the blond believed the prince required something that he'd remember for years to come. Something that Lunafreya believed to be highly unpractical in the grand scheme of things. How was one to drag an adult chocobo when they were constantly on the move on four wheels? Even she had discarded the idea of bringing Umbra and Pryna along, no matter how loyal and helpful they could be.

Their – Prompto's really – plan was to slow the magnificent bird with a tranquilizer. They had purchased only a mild sedative, not wishing to give a drug overdose. Luna had asked the other blond how he planned on dragging a drowsy feathered carcass twice their size back to the camp. Prompto had proudly straightened his posture and announced that a well-aimed mini spell would solve their problems. As ridiculous as the harebrained idea of his sounded Luna couldn't help but agree that it was a solid plan. A wacky plan, but still an effective one.

And that's how she found herself huddled between vegetation covered in dirt and leaves. Her feet were hovering few centimeters above the ground thanks to a weak float spell she had cast on herself and Prompto to avoid alerting the chocobo with their footsteps. She saw Prompto cock and take a careful aim. She began to chant the mini spell under her breath.

A sharp snap of dry twigs alerted both the chocobo and the two humans. A brown blur of lean muscle, razor claws and snapping jaws accompanied by a long thin tongue lolling between its fangs charged from the rustling leaves. The chocobo narrowly avoided the canine's attack and let out a high pitched _kweh_ in panic before sprinting off. The sabertusk chased the bird and was soon followed by a full pack of hungry hounds. Prompto cursed and stood up.

Luna was about to suggest leaving when a low growl froze the two blonds in their tracks. A ragged sabertusk that was clearly past its prime years emerged into their view. It slowly circled Prompto, its gleaming eyes calculating and seizing its prey. Prompto took aim and shot the tranquilizer dart just as the creature bounced on him. With a dull thump the blond's gun fell from his grip as he tried to keep the bloodthirsty mutt from his person with bare hands. In panic Luna finished her mini spell that she had been holding on standby and cast it towards the wrestling man and predator.

Suddenly Prompto lost his hold on the canine and looked up in confusion as the sabertusk staggered forward with the loss of resistance. Slowly the tranquilizer begun to overpower it and its limbs grew heavy. With a final frustrated growl the hound stumbled and passed out.

Prompto let out a sigh of relief and allowed his back connect with the soft forest floor. He eyed his surroundings curiously as realization slowly dawned on him.

He had shrunk. A lot.

"Prompto?"

Luna's shadow hid the sun and covered him completely.

"Still alive", he squeaked in a voice that resembled more of chipmunk's than a man's. His hands shot up to cover his mouth as his eyes widened in embarrassment. A gentle pair of hands carefully picked him up and brought him to face Luna's blue eyes that struggled to decide between worry and amusement. Eventually amusement won and a giggle shook her entire body.

"This is not how I envisioned this hunt to go, yet somehow I should've seen this coming considering what sort of plan we were relying on." She pocketed Prompto's normal sized gun and begun to walk back towards their camp. No point lingering with a knocked out beast that could spring back to life at any moment. She didn't deem it necessary to kill it either. Let nature take its course.

Prompto sat up and let his tiny legs dangle between the gaps of Luna's fingers. "What'll we do now? Can you change me back?"

Luna's giggles stopped abruptly as she stared at the tiny man on her palm. "I thought you had the antidote."

"I thought _you_ had it."

A slender brow rose in defiance. "It was _your_ plan. You didn't ask me to bring anything with me." The tiny man groaned and rubbed his face with his palms.

"You wouldn't happen to know a reverse spell?"

Luna tapped her chin in thought. "Afraid not. Ignis might know where to get an antidote."

"There has to be another way. Ignis is still mad at me for switching his glasses with fake ones."

Luna knew better than to ask why on Eos Prompto would pull a prank like that. "How about we ask Noct? He probably knows how to cast Esuna."

Prompto fidgeted uncomfortably. Luna's brow rose in suspicion. "What did you do?" The tiny man lowered his face and fumbled with his hands. Luna had to really strain to hear what the other blond was mumbling.

"He might have gone through the photos on my camera and found few that I had taken while you two were cuddling in Lestallum."

She could feel blood rush to her cheeks and was glad Prompto wasn't looking up. She should've known privacy was simply not a privilege she would ever enjoy. Thankfully she and her betrothed had not done anything too intimate. There had been that chaste kiss he had placed on her brow in the escalator, but that was hardly anything to be too embarrassed about.

Then why was she acting like a school girl who had been caught tongue-wrestling with her first crush? Best she not think about it.

Once Luna was certain her cheeks had faded back to their regular brown hue she cleared her throat to regain the shrunken man's attention. "Fine, we'll go check the store at the gas station and see if they have anything. I wouldn't be too hopeful, if I were you. I don't think they sell 'mallets' outside pharmacies."

"'Mallets'?" Prompto didn't like the sound of that. "You think this temporary shrinking can be cured with a good ol' wooden mallet to the head? That's like saying you can transform pigs into humans with diet food."

Luna's chuckle did nothing to reassure the agitated man.

* * *

The only settlement within 20km radius was an old rundown gas station with a decent sized grocery store. Prompto insisted on hiding in Luna's jacket's pocket just in case they should run to the other three men.

A cheery doorbell rang as Luna entered the store. She navigated through the claustrophobic maze of tall shelves and eventually found the medicine section. It was mostly packed with regular first aid supplies as well as antidotes against the most common poisons one could get from the local wildlife. As expected there were no mallets.

"Can I help you, miss?" The cashier came to assist her.

"I'm looking for mallets. Or something similar that reverses the shrunken effect." The man gave her a strange look. Luna rubbed her hands together anxiously as she tried to come up with a decent excuse on the run without revealing the tiny blond's blight. "You see, I, uh, was target practicing spell-casting and accidently shrunk my… Dog."

It stung her pride slightly to make herself out to be a ditz, but this was her friend's problem she was talking about. And she didn't need the cashier to off-handedly mention it to the other men should he be bit by a gossip-bug when the men would do their shopping later that day. Better she be a dumb blonde than Prompto be a laughing stock. Luna had noticed how much the young man struggled to prove his worth to the rest of the group.

"I'm afraid we have nothing of the sort here. Closest pharmacy is in Lestallum."

A loud high-pitched groan overlapped the pleasant background music playing on the radio. Luna stared at the cashier with wide eyes. The man in turn looked around to discern where the odd sound had come from. She thanked the man and hurried outside the store, before the cashier could ask any questions regarding the noise.

"What'll we do now?" As silly as the whole situation was Luna couldn't help but feel her heart ache in sympathy for the freckled man.

"I can try making a homemade version of mallet. But it's been many years since I practiced making potions and such for ailments."

"How many years exactly?" Prompto squeaked uncertainly. She had hoped he wouldn't ask.

"Eleven."

"Oh. Well, that's not so bad. I think." She could sense his optimism fading.

* * *

"I did not realize you had studied alchemy, Lady Lunafreya", Ignis commented. He had smelled a peculiar scent of dried herbs emitting from the prince and Luna's shared tent and came to investigate.

"It's been awhile. I cannot let all my skills be forgotten for lack of use." What she failed to mention was the small fact that she had no idea what she was doing. She had no recollection of what mallet was even made of. It wasn't one of those life threatening ailments that she felt the need to master. She had been more concerned with antidotes for poisons the like.

Vesper had once instructed the handmaidens to drug the food served within her mansion and given the antidote to the staff; an antidote she had made with Vesper's guidance. Once the Niflheimian soldiers had been too busy with stomach pains and splitting headaches Luna had snuck out and went to meet the High Priest to discuss her visions of Leviathan in the safety of a confession booth. After that incident MTs had been posted to guard every exit of her home. She should've attempted to escape that night, but on hindsight she realized she wouldn't have made it far on her own at such a young age. They would've found her. They always did.

"We are indeed running low on echo herbs. They'll surely be of great use later on."

Luna turned to stare at the herbs she was grinding. She cursed mentally and awkwardly smiled at the royal advisor.

"Yes, my thoughts exactly!" She mentally went through all the ailment curing recipes she recalled and crossed out 'Attempt nro. 3'. The next one would surely be the right one. Surely.

Ignis sat down next to her and watched her work in silence. Slightly unnerved she figured she might as well finish the echo herbs and not raise any suspicion. She could feel Prompto squirm restlessly in her pocket. Sometimes a frustrated squeak could be heard, but she purposely ignored it. Ignis didn't seem to pay any attention to the occasional sound. Maybe he rationalized it as a sound of wildlife.

Luna moved outside where she had a small cooking pot ready by the fire.

"Ignis, could you please finish these potions while I start making a new patch? I'm guessing you know how the rest goes."

"Yes. Although I admit your – what I presume to be Tenebraean – methods are quite different from what I was taught at the academy."

Luna hurried back to her tent and let Prompto out of her pocket to stretch his legs. She immediately set on working on the next set.

Seeing as the woman used all her concentration on her work, Prompto used his chance to take a look around. He had wanted to take a peek at the couple's tent for a while, but it was never unoccupied. He could clearly see which side was his best friend's and which was Luna's. On the left side of the sleeping bags were neatly folded spare clothing, backpack and rapier while on the right side was what one could only call a mess. Clothes were thrown into a black undistinguishable bundle. He could see few play cards poking between the folds as well as a red covered notebook that the man had carried with him for as long as Prompto had known the prince. He was certain that was the notebook Noctis collected his letters from Luna to.

As he carefully walked around the massive pile he noticed the wooden black chocobo he had gotten for Noctis sitting next to a wooden Carbuncle. He had seen the blue fox-like figure once before, but didn't realize the prince still carried it with him. Noctis had once told him about his near death experience and how he had woken from his coma to the sight of its friendly face looking down at him. It was the only memento he had of his father.

Prompto turned on his heel to go back to Luna's side. He almost felt like he was intruding on something very personal that was not meant for him to see. As he approached the gleaming metal of Luna's rapier he almost ran into the most hideous looking creature he had ever seen. He barely managed to muffle his surprised yell as he stared at the yellow painted eyes of a wooden imp figure. It didn't look nearly as harmless as it had when he had seen Noctis finger it at the festival stand. But now as Prompto was the exact same height as the souvenir he couldn't help but feel unnerved. Its ugly skeletal hands were pointed outwards as if readying to lunge. Its numerous sharp teeth reminded him of the snapping jaws of the sabertusk he had barely avoided earlier that day.

 _Wait a minute. Noct said he got that ugly thing because he thought it reminded him of someone._ Prompto turned to stare at the white clad woman who was removing a fruit's skin and grinding it to a fine powder. _Luna reminds Noct of an… imp?_

There had to be something going on between those two that he wasn't aware of. He knew Luna had a sense of humour and that it wasn't as obvious as his and Gladio's jokes. But he wasn't aware she was mischievous. Maybe she had more in common with him than he had originally thought! He should team up with her sometime to do some mischief on the other men.

"Alright. Think it's done. Give it a try."

"Can't we try it on something else first? Maybe use a mini spell on something inanimate?" The potion smelled foul. He was aware that the potions sold at stores and pharmacies had added floral scents to make them more appealing. Still, his internal alarm bells were ringing loudly at the sight of the raw potion.

"I'm afraid it has to be ingested." Prompto walked slowly towards the spoon Luna had placed in front of him. Hesitantly he placed his small hands on the edges of the spoon to steady himself and drank from the spoon as an animal would from a lake. He smacked his lips thoughtfully and came to the conclusion it didn't taste nearly as bad as it smelled. Come to think of it, it didn't smell as bad as he had initially thought.

Luna dropped her spoon and stared at him in bewilderment. He felt a little taller than before, but not much. Maybe he should drink more of it to get back to his real size? He voiced his thoughts, but all that came out was a _ribbit_.

Prompto startled and looked at his hands. They had turned green and sinewy. He felt sticky, like he was covered in rubber. His enormous stomach made it impossible to look at his feet, but he was fairly certain what he would see.

"I really hope Ignis doesn't use toad legs in his cooking."

Prompto began to panic. Had he been human he would've been hyperventilating, but all he could manage in his new form was croak franticly. Without thinking he began to hop across the tent trying to find an exit.

"Prompto! Calm down! It's okay, I'll think of something!" Luna attempted to catch him, but he was a slippery bugger. He felt a thrill shot through him and felt nearly invincible. It didn't last long as Luna took the closest cloth at hand and threw it over him. He struggled, but couldn't find a way underneath what he presumed was a shirt. She wrapped the cloth around him and held him close to her chest. Only his green head poked from underneath the cloth prison.

Luna wrecked her brain as she tried to recall from her childhood the brief lessons she had gotten from Vesper as well as old wives' tales that her handmaidens liked to tell her. All she could remember was something about a maiden's kiss. But that couldn't be it, could it? It must be just a name for the antidote, not an actual literal maiden's kiss.

She was out of ideas. _Might as well give it a try, you never know._

"Okay, this is going to be weird for both of us." She could swear Prompto's already wide eyes grew even wider as she leaned in to kiss his slimy head.

Just as her luck would have it she heard the tent's zipper open. All three of them froze and stared at each other awkwardly.

"You know", Noctis began, his voice surprisingly calm. "I refuse to give you a goodnight kiss tonight." Luna hastily removed her lips from Prompto and wiped them on her sleeve.

"If you felt the need to practice kissing you could've just told me." Noctis sat down next to her. "No need to scar poor wildlife."

The tips of Luna's ears flushed bright red in embarrassment. Prompto wasn't sure if the situation called for a hearty thigh-slapping laugh or ashamed tears. He felt like doing both.

The blonde woman kept her cool. "I needed to extract the frog slime for a potion. It's more effective mixed with human saliva." Luna was fairly certain she had just reached her daily bullshit high score.

Noctis wrinkled his nose. "Gotta say I admire your willingness to sacrifice your mouth hygiene for couple of potions. Just don't tell me which potion uses frog slime, I really don't wanna know."

"Fair enough." She hoped he wouldn't mention this to Ignis. The man was already finding her potion brewing process questionable.

"Ignis finished the potions. Do you want privacy to finish making out with the frog?" Luna grimaced and shoved his side with her elbow.

"Funny."

Noctis grinned in return. "I try to be." His face turned thoughtful. "You haven't seen Prompto, have you?"

Luna visibly tensed and Prompto let out what could only be a frog's version of a gasp.

"N-no, I haven't. Think he said something about chocobos."

"Chocobos, huh? He's probably in the forest. Said he saw a glimpse of a wild chocobo earlier."

"Indeed!" Luna nervously smoothened her jacket. Noctis cast her a curious look before standing up.

"Right. Well, I'll go see which featherhead I find first; him or a bird." As soon as the prince's form had left the tent both woman and frog let out a long sigh of relief.

Too close.

* * *

Luna was running out of ideas fast. None of her potions were working. She had sneaked into the men's tent and rummaged through Ignis' potions, but none of them were labeled as mallets or maiden's kisses. There were few labelless bottles, but she didn't dare give them a try after the disaster of her self-made potions. Prompto still refused her suggestion of asking Ignis or Noctis for help. It had been an hour since the dark haired man had left to search for his best friend. She rubbed her face in frustration.

The familiar gruff voice of the royal bodyguard could be heard outside: "Ignis, dinner time soon, yeah?" Gladio had returned. A thought begun to form in the Tenebraean's mind. If she couldn't let the men know of Prompto's condition nor could she cure him herself…

She exited the tent leaving a confused Prompto behind.

"Luna", Gladio greeted as he sat next to the fire on one of the camping chairs. She politely nodded and smiled in return.

"Ignis, could I assist you with cooking? It would be only fair since you assisted me with the potions." Ignis seemed pleased with the idea.

Half an hour later Noctis returned to camp.

"Still no sign of Prompto?"

The prince sighed and shook his head. "No. Not like him to just disappear like that."

Ignis finished stirring the stew and Luna begun to fill the plates. She made an act to accidently drop one of the plates. Ignis, ever the gentleman, hurried to pick it up for her. During those few seconds of distraction she emptied her toad-potion on Gladiolus' plate. She offered each man their plate and settled down next to Noctis.

"I'll go check the gas station. He might've found something he can't afford and lost track of time drooling at it", Gladio offered. He made a move to get up, but Luna hurried to him and pushed him back to sit down.

"Eat first! You've been out hiking and hunting most of the day, can't have you go on with an empty stomach." The muscular man hardly needed any more persuasion.

Luna watched as Gladiolus ate and with each bite his skin turned greener and his limbs thinner and skin slimier. Within ten seconds he was a toad.

Ignis had halted mid bite to openly stare at the tattooed man while Noctis didn't notice the transformation at all until Ignis choked on his food.

"The hell? How did that happen?" Noctis sputtered as he stared at his companion.

"Am not sure", Ignis frowned and stared at his plate doubtfully. "Highness, are you feeling strange?"

Noctis sniffed at his half-finished plate and rolled his shoulders, but sensed nothing out of ordinary. "Nope, nothing."

"I'm fine as well", Luna tentatively offered. "Is there anything you two can do to reverse it?"

"Hold on a moment", Ignis went to the three men's tent and fetched a labelless bottle. "I bought a few remedies while we were at Lestallum."

Ignis poured the clear liquid on a spoon and stuffed it in frog-Gladio's mouth. He croaked in annoyance for such rough handling, but within seconds the tattooed man was back to normal. Luna discreetly switched her and Gladiolus' plates and hid the poisoned food. She hurried to her tent mumbling something about needing a napkin. She found Prompto lying on his back on her bedroll looking as miserable as an invertebrate could.

"I've got a fool proof cure this time. Come", she carefully picked him up and placed in her jacket's pocket. She'd have to be swift and stealthy.

Ignis and Gladiolus were discussing and backtracking what the bodyguard had been doing previous to his sudden transformation. Noctis noticed something move at the edge of his vision and turned his head to see Luna snatch the remedy bottle before disappearing behind the tents. He remembered the frog he had seen in his and Luna's tent. He had a good idea that he'd see his best friend very soon. He returned back to his food.

"Ahhh, I'm so hungry I could eat a full-grown Garula on my own!" Prompto's announced as he appeared from behind the tents.

The two older men turned to the freckled blond. "Good to see you found your way back. We were beginning to get worried", Gladio greeted. Ignis offered a plate to the younger man who immediately dove in while shouting out compliments to the chef.

Luna arrived as well, thanked Ignis for the meal and collected her plate to go wash it in the nearby lake. Noctis picked his finished plate as well and followed her.

"So, you think kissing my best friend behind my back is considered cheating?"

Luna rolled her eyes and turned around to face her betrothed.

"Technically, it was in front of you." Noctis grinned and ruffled her blond locks. She swatted his offending hand away and hurried to the edge of the lake.

"What I really wanna know is how in the world he ended up as a frog of all things. Did you drug his food like Gladio's?"

Luna dug a small hole next to the lake and buried the poisoned food in it. She then sat down by the bank and begun to scrub the plate. "It's a really long story. It began with his scatterbrained idea of getting you a wild chocobo as a birthday gift. I accidently shrunk him and he absolutely refused to ask help from you or Ignis."

"Wait, hold on. What?" The prince let out a small flabbergasted laugh. "A wild chocobo?" Luna gave in and told him the whole story.

"You know, sometimes you take this secrecy a bit too seriously. I mean, I get you don't want any of us to lose our face, but you gotta understand that we've been friends for a long time. We might get a laugh out of it for a few days, but eventually we forget and find the next thing to laugh at."

"I understand." She really should've gone to Ignis right away and ignored the freckled blond's pleas. "I will from now on let everybody know if there's a problem with one of us", she vowed solemnly. "I will also tell them that you refuse to order drinks that you deem unmanly." She stood up and begun to head back towards the camp. She managed three steps before the prince rushed to her in a fit of panic and tackled her to the soft shore sand.

"No-no-no! Some things are not meant for everyone to know!"

"Fine! Just between us!" she squirmed underneath his weight. "Now get off me", she wheezed.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Prompto's easygoing grin was easy to spot even in the evening light.

"Yes!"

"No, you're not. Help!"

Prompto glanced back and forth between his two friends. He pulled Noct off Luna. "Sorry, buddy. She saved my butt too many times today for me to ignore a plea for help", he turned to help Luna on her feet and assisted her brush sand off her clothes.

"What brings you here?" Noctis gathered his and Luna's plates and eyed curiously the freckled man.

"Oh! Right. Luna, I brought you this", he gave her a plateful of stew. "I'm guessing you sacrificed your portion to keep Gladio from getting a second go at being a toad. Don't want you go hungry after you went so much trouble for me."

"Thank you", she smiled genuinely and accepted the plate.

Noctis slung his arm casually around his best friend. "Prompto, what was this I heard about a wild chocobo?"

"About that", the blond trailed off and twiddled his thumbs. "We could, uh, give it another go tomorrow? All five of us so there won't be any unfortunate accidents."

Noctis chuckled and gave Prompto a rough pat on the back. "You sure you just don't want the chocobo to yourself? I don't think we have enough room in the car for one."

"We do if we keep it mini'ed while driving!"

Luna choked as food entered the wrong pipe.

 _Here we go again._

* * *

 _A/N: Sorry for not updating for a while. I had the basic concept of 'Prompto gets accidently mini'd' before I even finished last chapter. I might write one more chapter with Gladio+Luna and Noctis+Luna if I get any ideas and then end the story there._

 _It's funny how whenever I try to write humor it ends up semi-angst. This whole chapter was pretty brainless and out of character._

 _Guest1995: Gentiana wasn't in last few chapters because she only appears in chapter 12. You have to remember that each chapter is a separate short story and they're not in a chronological order. In fact, I see chapter 12 as the final chapter of New moon. The original plan was to have Luna go_ luna _tic (see what I did there, hoho) and Noctis having to kill her to save Altissia, but figured that was too dark. Plus I wanted to write a few more chapters and felt her dying and then being alive in the next chapter would be a bit disorienting._

 _If you want to see more of Gentiana, I recently wrote a oneshot story that features Luna, Noctis and Gentiana. It's called "Tattoo"._

 _I've been thinking about deleting the first chapter and replacing it with chapter 16. Chapter 1 is pretty clumsily worded and unnecessarily melodramatic, I think. I might later arrange the chapters in order to make it a more smooth reading experience._ _ **If anyone's interested the "official" timeline of this story goes like this:**_

 _ **13 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 8 - 9 - 11 - 10 - 6 - 7 - 14 - 15 - (16 & 17) - 12**_

 _If people are interested in seeing drawings for New moon (and other FFXV fanart), I have posted quite a bit on my tumblr. Just Google "haprilona tumblr".  
_


	19. From bad to worse

Title: From bad to worse  
Genre: Action, friendship  
Summary: The quintet escapes an MT ambush and retreat to a nearby forest only to find more trouble.

 **Chapter 16: From bad to worse**

Five weary travellers trekked through what seemed an endless mattress of moss and thick spruce vegetation. They had been pushing through the coniferous forest for hours with no end in sight. The faint afternoon light that managed to peek through the trees quickly faded to give room for dusk. What little light they had previously relied on was completely gone within minutes and the forest was shrouded in shadows. Noctis switched his pocket flashlight on and pushed past another spruce tree. The branches humbly bent for the prince and smacked unceremoniously against Prompto's face who followed closely behind.

"Ow!"

"Quiet", Ignis ordered.

The quintet had run from an ambush. They had first fought adrenaline strongly pumping in their veins as they cleared row after row of magitek troops. Even as Noctis kept lending his powers and pushing his brothers with inhuman resources of endurance and Luna kept throwing spells left and right while dancing with a rapier in left hand it soon became evident it wasn't a battle they would win. Whoever was pulling the strings of those MTs knew what they were doing and didn't merely rely on their clumsy pre-coded AI to do the work.

Noctis had nearly passed out from exhausting his magical energy. Luna and Ignis had to half-drag half-carry him to safety while Gladiolus and Prompto secured their retreat. The quintet had seen no other option than to run to the nearby forest. The thick vegetation shielded them from MTs bullets and hindered their unrelenting advance.

Silence hung heavily all around them. The air was tense and they could feel countless unseen eyes watching. Their shoes sunk into the soft moss as they stumbled forward. Only a crow would occasionally let the tired travellers know its distaste to their presence.

A squirrel skittered past the dark clad prince and disappeared underneath needled branches. Noctis smiled faintly at it, but didn't stop pressing forward. Suddenly he felt something thread-like press against his face. His flashlight briefly revealed a spider swinging, trying to get hold of what was left of its day's work that the passerby had rudely destroyed. The prince let out an undignified yelp and brushed the webs and their creator off his person. Prompto didn't have time to stop himself and ran face first into his best friend's back.

"Ugh", the dark haired man grumbled under his breath.

"Another spider web?" Prompto had lost count after the twentieth web.

"Yep."

"Icky."

" _Yep_."

Luna pushed past the men with a rotten branch in hand.

"Allow me to take point", she offered and proceeded while waving the branch in front of her to avoid running into webs.

"That's a good idea", Prompto mumbled and swatted another a mosquito that had landed on is exposed arms.

They continued onwards. The moss silenced their footsteps, but occasionally one of them would misstep on a dry branch. The rustle felt like a gunshot in the silence of the forest. Luna pulled her hood up to cover the back of her head from the swarm of insects. Noctis stared daggers enviously at her sensible choice of attire. Another mosquito buzzed next to his ear and he swatted it away in annoyance. It was impossible to camp in here. They had left their equipment in Regalia and there was no way Noctis would be able to sleep through hundreds of bug bites. He could only hope that the stupid bucket heads didn't have the sense to move the car.

It was gradually getting cold. Noctis rubbed his arms in discontent cussing all the while in his head. They were still nowhere near a clearing where they could at least build a fire. The thought of mosquito-clearing smoke and chance to curl up next to heat made his mood even sourer.

Something smacked the back of his head.

"The hell?" he turned around, teeth grinding as he itched to unleash all his bent up frustration. Prompto held his arms up and took a nervous step back from the agitated man.

"Easy! Just took care of a mosquito."

The prince huffed and stomped after Luna.

They continued to move in silence for another ten minutes before Luna halted.

"What is it?" Gladio walked next to her.

"We are going in circles", she bluntly stated.

"You sure?"

Luna turned to point at a tree that had been ripped off the ground, its many roots sticking to every direction.

"We passed that thirty minutes ago."

"Could just be another one. We've been here for at least two hours", Prompto suggested.

"What about that stump next to it? It's exactly in the same place as the previous one. There are hardly any other notable landmarks. We've yet to step on mossless ground. I highly doubt we are making much progress", she insisted.

"In other words we're lost", Ignis summarized.

"Not much can be done about that. We can't see the sky, so we can't navigate by using the stars. We don't have a compass or a map, either", Gladio crossed his arms and tried to peer through the dark forest roof.

Prompto took out his phone and attempted to use navigation services, but his phone couldn't reach any networks. For all they knew the MTs might be purposely blocking them.

"In any case we cannot linger here and I doubt any of us will get much rest with all this insect activity", Ignis sighed. He turned to look at the prince quizzically. "There is one thing we could try."

"Spill it", Noctis urged impatiently.

"The trees are difficult to climb, but with your warp strike you could get to higher ground and see which way is the forest's edge."

"Done", he summoned his _Partisan_ and threw it effortlessly to the highest tree peak he could make out in the darkness. Blue sparks lit up the forest below as he warped and hung from the tree. He hoisted himself up and let his feet balance on the spear while he pushed needled branches aside and peered into the night.

Fortunately it was a cloudless night and he could see clearly with the aid of a full moon.

"If we turn East and walk for few kilometers, we should make it to a clearing", Noctis called. He bounced off the tree trunk and dismissed his summoned spear and resummoned it to warp strike safely down to the forest floor. He looked around, but didn't see any of his companions nor the telltale shaft from their flashlights.

"Guys?"

No answer.

As he was contemplating whether he should warp back up he noticed something move out of the way of a flashlight. He hurried towards the light, but froze in his tracks when his own flashlight hit a scaly white surface. With a trembling hand he moved the spotlight upwards. The scaly surface belonged to a giant snake's body. As the light unveiled the rest of the creature Noctis felt a chill go down his spine.

Attached to the body was a sickly pale humanoid head with a pointy nose and sharp features. Its sunken eyes were lidded and they shone with a pale yellow gleam. Dark tangled tresses of dirty hair hid the side of its skeletal head and on top of it rested an ugly crown made of bones. The creature remained unmoving, but as the light hit its nocturnal eyes it let out a sound that was somewhere between a croak and a hiss. Slowly it extended its long neck to allow the lidded eyes escape the harsh light. Its mouth opened to reveal a row of razor sharp teeth.

Noctis summoned his _Zweihander_ and wasted no time to swing at the horrifying creature. He underestimated the naga's speed. It effortlessly evaded his heavy attack and left the prince stumbling to regain balance as his feet sunk to the soft moss. The naga turned around, its corpse-like head hanging limply high above the ground before it charged. Noctis summoned _Partisan_ and let the creature impale itself. The spear went straight through its fanged mouth, but the daemon didn't seem fazed. It kept pushing its impaled head towards the prince and snapping its jaws impatient for human flesh.

"Piss off!" Noctis gritted his teeth and lifted the spear – naga and all – and with all his might connected the spear's tip with the forest floor. The pinned naga gurgled and hissed, its head sliding up and down on the slippery bloodied pole. Wasting no time Noctis resummoned _Zweihander_ and cleaved the creature below the neck and watched as its snake-like body fell to the ground twitching. He exchanged his greatsword for _Blood sword_ and put the creature out of its misery. Shuddering he watched the naga's tongue loll out of its mouth and the faint light in its nocturnal eyes fade away.

"Man, that's disgusting." Dismissing his weapons he rushed to the only other visible flashlight.

It belonged to Ignis. He was out cold and his glasses had flown off to who knew where. Roughly he shook his advisor awake.

"Please point the light elsewhere", Ignis groaned. With Noctis' help he stood up and rubbed his aching eyes.

"What happened? I was away only for a minute", Noctis demanded.

"I'm not sure. Something grabbed Prompto and pulled him further into the forest and Luna gave chase. I saw something move in our flank and tried to warn Gladio, but something hit me hard and knocked me out", with a flashlight in hand he began to scour his immediate surroundings for his glasses.

"Great. You wouldn't happen to know which way they went, would you?"

"Afraid not."

This night was just turning worse by the minute. He was so tired. And hungry. Soon the cold would start bothering him again once his blood cooled down from the brief fight. Even should they be lucky enough to be graced with daylight they would still have trouble finding their lost companions or getting out of the forest.

* * *

Lunafreya ran as fast as her tired legs would allow her. Her breathing was shallow and she could feel her body to be ready to give out. But she pushed on and followed the faint yelps and grunts of the younger blond. She couldn't slow down lest she lose the only thing she was able to track down.

Just when she was sure her feet would carry her no further she came across a cave entrance. Prompto's flashlight had fallen off and lay on the cold stone entrance. Gingerly she picked and pocketed it before drawing her rapier. With a nervous inhale she crouched and entered the cave.

It reeked of what she could only assume to be remains of corpses and the predator's manure. She wrinkled her nose and forced down the bile that threatened to come up. A sound of what she could only describe as crooning echoed through the cave. She picked up her pace and passed countless piles of cleaned bones.

She came to a fork. Straining to hear which way the crooning and quiet whimpering came from she failed to notice a presence behind her. A hand came to cover her mouth and another took hold of her sword arm to keep it steady. The large hand lifted her sword arm to eyelevel and she saw the tattoos decorating the man's arm. She relaxed and Gladiolus let go of her. Shaken, she turned to face the man and noted he had come alone. She could only hope that the prince and the advisor were unharmed.

The two of them stood still for a moment and listened to the echoing sounds. Gladiolus pointed at the left passage and gestured her to follow. They made way past the dirt, bones and manure. The air grew heavier with each step. Gladiolus covered his flashlight with his hand and crept closer, Luna followed his example. They entered a small natural chamber. They could make out two sets of nocturnal eyes glimmering in the dark; one adult and one youngling. Luna could hear Prompto's loud ragged breathing as he resisted succumbing to panic. The tiny pair of eyes slithered towards Prompto's location while squeaking happily.

"Snakes, why did it have to be snakes", the blond whimpered.

Luna patted Gladio's arm and took Prompto's flashlight out of her pocket while making sure to cover it completely. She made a throwing gesture and moved it next to Gladio's face. The bodyguard nodded in understanding and carefully took the flashlight from her. He threw it in the middle of the chamber.

The nagas startled and threw their heads back at the sudden blinding light.

"Prompto, get ready to fight!"

Luna removed her hand from her flashlight and charged at the smaller naga. What they could presume to be the mother deflected her rapier by smacking her hard with its scaled tail. Luna stumbled back and parried as the daemon struck again. Prompto summoned his pistol and aimed. The loud shot made their ears ring in the confined space. The bullet penetrated the naga's chin. Its tongue hung loosely from its mouth without a jaw to support it. Its lidded eyes burnt with hatred as it turned to the lunge at Prompto. Gladiolus pushed Prompto from harms' way and blocked the razor fanged mouth with his greatsword.

Luna took the chance to go after the smaller naga while the mother was distracted. It hissed at her and attempted to stretch as tall as its body allowed. It was tiny compared to the mother, but still reached Luna's waist. It bared its fangs and hissed through the small slits that extended from the corners of its mouth. The blonde settled to an offensive stance and lunged at the miniature daemon. Unfortunately even the young ones seemed to possess an impressive speed. Again and again her rapier slashed at air. Growing annoyed Luna chanted a fire spell and made a show to lunge again with her weapon. As expected the naga threw itself away from her reach, but paused for a second before moving again. That was all the time Luna needed.

The daemon screeched as its tangled hair set in flames and the fire slowly melted the hard scales on its back and scorched the soft white stomach. It flailed around and nearly set Luna herself on fire. She barely managed to sidestep as the naga hurled itself towards the men and its mother. Prompto took careful aim behind the safety of Gladio's blade and put down the creature before it could harm any of them.

With renewed hatred the mother lunged impossibly fast at Lunafreya. She shielded her head and stumbled backwards, but the naga's mouth reached her leg. The upper fangs tore through the cloth and sunk deep into her flesh, all the way to her bone. She screamed.

"Luna!" Prompto rapidly shot at the snake, terror shaking his hands and lowering his aim. The bullets hit only the hard scales of its back and had hardly more effect than an insect bite. Gladio charged and swung his broadsword with all his strength. The force penetrated the scales of its neck. The tattooed man kicked the twitching body off the severed head and grabbed the head by its dark locks. He forcefully pulled it off Luna. The fangs ripped more flesh as it came off her leg. She cried out in pain and clutched to her leg, tears blinding her vision. Gladio tossed the severed head next to the burning carcass of its offspring and dismissed his weapon.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no", Prompto chanted, eyes wide with alarm. "That looks really bad."

"Stop bitching", Gladio grunted and knelt down in front of the Tenebraean. He took out a mostly used potion bottle and emptied its contents straight into the wound. "Sorry, Highness, I don't have any cloth at hand", he ripped the already ruined pant leg from Luna's injured leg and wrapped it tightly around the cut.

"We'll need to find Ignis. C'mon, I'll carry you." Luna nodded and continued to bite her lip to keep herself from alerting every living creature within hearing distance. Soon blood trickled down from her lip as her teeth penetrated the soft flesh.

"Prompto, watch my rear."

"Yes, sir!"

* * *

Noctis peered through branches and scoured the landscape. They had been following the forest's edge to avoid getting lost a second time. Beside endless mass of trees there was hardly anything noteworthy. He couldn't make out anything even resembling a flashlight in the darkness. With an angry sigh the prince warp stroke back to the forest floor.

"Still no sign?"

"Not a thing. By the time morning comes there won't even be bodies to find. We might find bare bones if we're lucky."

"Pessimism doesn't suit you, Highness. We mustn't give up."

They kept moving North-East. So far they had encountered only regular fauna that were easy enough to scare away with a well-lit fire spell. They had been searching for the rest of the group for an hour. Noctis took out his phone and checked the time.

 _3am_

Still three hours before daylight. If they didn't catch the daemon that dragged Prompto away or find Gladio or Luna before dawn all would be lost. They were very aware how impossible it was to encounter a daemon during daylight hours. That is, unless they were manipulated and forced into service by Niflheim.

"There must be some sort of cave or a hole nearby. Nagas don't just simply sleep under moss and mingle with tree roots during day", Ignis pondered.

"I've yet to encounter one", Noctis muttered. "I'm gonna go up again." With that he warp stroke and peered into the darkness once more.

This time he could see a faint light illuminating the trees around it. It came from the opposite direction from where they were heading.

 _Must be Gladio._

"Ignis! I found them!"

* * *

Prompto thought his luck had taken a turn for the better when Luna and Gladio had arrived to save him from what was possibly his worst nightmare. Ignoring the fact that Luna was deeply wounded he liked to think things would only get better from now on.

He should've known better.

It started with a squeal. Then another. And before they knew it they were surrounded by a several dozen sets of glowing yellow eyes.

"They must've smelt my blood", Luna managed to rasp.

Prompto attempted to summon his pistol, but nothing happened. Noctis was too far away. "Not good."

"You think?" Gladio muttered. "Don't miss."

"I can't summon my weapon!"

"What?!" the bodyguard attempted to materialize his favored greatsword, but was met with the same result as the blond. "Damn it."

"T-take m' rpier", Luna slurred. "Bettr thn nthng." Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she was out cold. Gladio passed the unconscious woman to Prompto and untied her rapier from her waist.

"Just stick close to me. I'll take care of 'em."

The first goblin lunged towards the blonds. It went down with a guttural cry. Then four at once made their way, all from different sides. Prompto attempted to kick the ones that came too close, but his balance was already compromised thanks to the extra weight. Gladio circled the blonds and shielded them with his meaty arm while striking down the assaulters with the rapier.

Soon they were overwhelmed. Sharp fangs reached eagerly towards bare skin, thin fingers twitching and flexing in anticipation. Prompto cried out as a goblin latched to his ankle and bit down while another climbed on top of the first to steal what little possessions the freckled man owned.

"Hey, give that back!" The goblin ran off with his medicine pouch.

One goblin jumped on the frantic blond's back and sunk its teeth on his collared neck. Fortunately his sleeveless jacket shielded him and the fangs didn't penetrate through the several layers of cloth. Prompto twirled and shook forcefully and did his best to get rid of the goblins that were quite literally piling on top of him.

"Gladio! Little help here?!"

With a furious roar the bodyguard slashed three goblins and grabbed a fourth and used it as a club to strike its brethren. He made his way through what seemed like a sea of goblins. Stabs, slashes, cleaves… Goblins fell left and right in his path. He grabbed a goblin that was hanging from Luna's injured leg, its disgusting face centimeters away from the bandaged wound.

Prompto's arms protested as more and more goblins latched on to Luna's clothes and another climbed on his shoulders. He fell over and was swarmed. Countless sharp claws scratched at his face and bare arms. He closed his eyes and lifted his bloody arms to shield his face from the worst damage.

A sound of a greatsword cleaving several goblin necks at once halted the goblins' advance. With terrified shrieks they retreated from the bloodied blonds.

"About time, Noct!" Gladio summoned his greatsword and dropped the rapier. With renewed battle-fervor the tattooed man charged at the nocturnal creatures.

Prompto felt a gloved hand gently touch his shoulder. A cool sensation surged through his entire being. He could feel the cuts and bite marks on his skin knit themselves shut and the aching subdue to a dull throb and then to nothing.

"It's alright, you're safe", Ignis' soothing voice assured. Prompto removed his arms from his face and accepted the extended hand to stand up.

"Phew. Glad you were there. Thought I was a goner", he summoned his pistol and joined Noctis and Gladiolus on finishing the rest of the bloodthirsty critters.

Ignis checked Luna's wound for poisons and took out a napkin from his pocket and uncorked a potion. He dabbed the napkin with the clear liquid and removed all the dirt and gore from the wound before rewrapping the makeshift bandage. He finished by casting several healing spells.

Blond lashes fluttered as the woman came to. "Here", he helped her lift her head enough to gulp down the rest of the potion. She willingly complied while clutching the moss beneath her. Gradually her hold relaxed as the pain lessened.

"Where's Prompto and Gladio?" her voice was barely louder than a whisper.

"They're fine. They are finishing off the goblins that ambushed you."

"Thank Etro", she sighed and allowed her eyes to close for a moment.

With a frantic squeal the last goblin fell to Noctis' _Avenger_. The three men dismissed their weapons. Noctis looked at the tattooed man and gave out a low whistle. He had ugly scratch marks all across his chest and several sets of angry fang marks – all which bled. His chest was like a child's paint canvas.

"Not my finest hour", Gladio chuckled.

"I'll make sure you never forget it", Noctis assured with a smirk. "Have Ignis take a look at that. Etro knows I can't carry your heavy ass through this forest."

"Not with skinny arms like yours", the older man agreed and tousled the prince's hair before limping towards the unofficial team medic. Noctis turned to face his freckled friend who had sat down to catch his breath.

"How's it going?"

"Could be worse!" he grinned sincerely. "Thought we lost you for a second." Noctis smiled faintly in return and bent down to give him a high-five. So like the blond to worry about him even when he was the one being eaten alive.

The quintet moved slowly through the moss and spruce trees. They weren't any less tired or hungry than before, but they felt more optimistic as they now knew which way to go. Within thirty minutes they finally saw stars glint through the needled branches and five minutes later they had lit a merry campfire. Lunafreya offered to take the first watch. When the men began to protest and make a fuss about her injury she quieted them by assuring she was fully recovered thanks to Ignis' expertise and that she had had enough rest while she was knocked out cold.

She fingered a small pouch of medicine she had picked from one of the goblin corpses. She had intended to just fetch her discarded weapon, but the brightly coloured pouch had caught her eye. It was most likely from them as she was fairly certain no other person was foolish enough to come to this forest. She glanced up to see Prompto toss and turn restlessly. She silently crawled next to him.

"You okay?"

"Can't sleep", the freckled youth sighed. "My painkillers were stolen by one of those creeps."

"What do you need painkillers for?"

"It's my arm", he pointed at his right bicep. "It's an old wound, but still it acts up once in a while. It didn't get the chance to heal properly back when I got it." Groaning he covered his eyes with his arm. "Wish potions worked on it. Not that we have any left after all the fighting we had to do today."

"Your painkillers wouldn't happen to be in here?"

Prompto removed his arm from his eyes and stared at the bright yellow pouch with a silk lace. Abruptly he sat up and looked back and forth between her and the pouch in wonder. "Where did you get this? I looked everywhere for it!" He eagerly took it from her and popped a pill and swallowed it dry.

"One of the goblins. Figured it might belong to one of us. Sort of forgot about it when we started the fire."

"Oh yeah. Gotta love that smoke. Keeps all those nasty mosquitos away. Although we'll all probably smell of smoke for the rest of the week."

"A worthy trade for a restful night, I believe", Luna hummed and turned to watch the stars.

"You bet." Prompto pocketed his pouch and eyed the Tenebraean for a moment. "Hey, Luna?"

She faced the younger blond and offered a small smile.

"Thanks for coming for me. It really means a lot to me", he hesitated for a second as he gathered his thoughts. "I mean, it's good to know you have my back. And you bet I'll have yours!"

"If rumours are correct you already proved that and much more. I mean, protecting me from a pack of goblins unarmed is quite the feat", she eyed him slyly from the corner of her eye.

"W-who told you that? I'm pretty sure that wasn't mentioned at any point!"

"I might've been briefly conscious for a few seconds at a time during the fight", she admitted. "I could hear and feel what was happening around me, but I was too out of it to really do anything or even react when I was being _eaten alive_."

They both cringed at the memory. It was by far one of their least favourite memories.

"But we made it in the end, all in one piece. That's all that matters to me", Prompto said before closing his eyes.

"Same. Now rest. We'll need all the energy we can muster for tomorrow."

The tired blond went out like a light.

* * *

 _A/N: So I said I wouldn't write anymore action, but I felt the last chapter was so stupid and random and pointless that I just_ had _to have some battles and stuff to pick up the pace. Plus I wanted to stuff as many Duscae battle quotes as I could._

 _Btw., don't watch the gameplay beta video of fighting against nagas in slowmotion. It's f***ing scary._

 _Ps. I drew a cover picture for this chapter:_ goo. gl /43a5Kl


End file.
